[a_chelat]

Driving to Chennai tomorrow morning. A friend suggested the Krishnagiri - Tindivanam route instead, which seems to take around 40 minutes longer on Google maps. Is this a viable alternative? I haven't driven to Chennai in 4-5 years and I am trying to choose the best option available. Also a bit vary due to the extreme weather conditions we are seeing all round. Any idea how the roads are?

[ravib]

Originally Posted by ampere

One suggestion: Why don't you all try: Chitoor-Ponnai-Ranipet road?
Route Link

Yes very much doable, provided people are okay to spend another 30 minutes and bear chittoor traffic. There is lot of traffic mess around chittoor due to active bridge and road work construction. I believe SRVM did it sometime back, IIRC.

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Are the barricades removed on weekends/ public holidays?

Have driven to Chennai 5 times in the last 3 months, always taking the Chittoor route, and never once have I had to to take a detour.

I always travel on Saturday morning and return Sunday late night.

No, they don't remove it. They just move it around to block it or allow space for one car.

Originally Posted by narayans80

It took only 10 minutes extra. So why not? Driving through Katpadi roads are much better than gully roads with opposing traffic.

For inexperienced drivers, this is the best option, just to bear Katpadi traffic in day time. It will take 20 to 30 minutes extra with additional 20 kms or so, and also depends on traffic volume in katpadi to cross over the railway bridge. Agreed, it is better than the gully roads with opposing traffic.

Originally Posted by a_chelat

Driving to Chennai tomorrow morning. A friend suggested the Krishnagiri - Tindivanam route instead, which seems to take around 40 minutes longer on Google maps. Is this a viable alternative? I haven't driven to Chennai in 4-5 years and I am trying to choose the best option available. Also a bit vary due to the extreme weather conditions we are seeing all round. Any idea how the roads are?

Depends on where is your destination in madras. But still i don't think you are saving anything by taking that long detour. You are better off to stick with standard route and exit either in Sunguvarchatram or Sriperumbudur if you are heading towards south/Tambaram and surrounding areas, or proceed straight towards Poonnamalle if you are going into city or north madras.

-Ravi

[srvm]

Originally Posted by ampere

One suggestion: Why don't you all try: Chitoor-Ponnai-Ranipet road?
Route Link

Originally Posted by ravib

Yes very much doable, provided people are okay to spend another 30 minutes and bear chittoor traffic. There is lot of traffic mess around chittoor due to active bridge and road work construction. I believe SRVM did it sometime back, IIRC.
.....

I have done the following routes over the last 12 months:
Bangalore - via Chitoor town - Ponnai - Sholinghur - Tiruttani - Pattabiram

Ranipet - Thiruvalluvar university - Vallimalai - Ponnai - via Chittoor town - Kolar bypass - Bangalore

So I havent exactly done the route suggested by ampere but close enough. Here are my observations:
1. Crossing Chittoor town is typically 20-25 minutes affair (unless late in the night, I have done that too).

2. Road between Heritage foods (where road after Chittoor forks into two) and Ponnai has improved a lot in the last 5 years. Not a fast road. 2-laned but easily doable.

3. There is ongoing bridge construction near Ponnai (on Bahuda river). Slows you down a bit there.

4. Vallimalai - Serkadu (near Thiruvalluvar University) is typical TN highway. Though 2-laned, quite smooth. But it does narrow down at some places.

5. After all this, one still has to cross Ranipet!


So, my suggestion to folks who take Chittoor route:
Simply go via Chittoor - Katpadi - Vellore - NH4.
Roads around AP-TN border on the above route used to be very bad, few years ago (like another BHPian mentioned recently). Now, it is much better. Still some potholes remain, but manageable if speeds are reasonable.

[ssbiitm]

Here's another update:
Did the Bangalore - Chennai route on Sunday, 28th July starting at 10:15 AM from Yelahanka New Town.

Took the airport road - Devanahalli - Hoskote (on NE7 - great road, but watch out for the speed cameras) - Chittoor - Katpadi - Vellore - Sunguvurchattram - Oragadam (via SIPCOT) - Vandalur - Tambaram - Guindy - IIT

The diversion via Katpadi and Vellore (to avoid the construction diversions on the Ranipettai stretch) was fairly comfortable except for the first 50 odd metres where there are some huge potholes. Could maintain 50 - 70 kmph easily right through till you join the highway at Vellore. Reached at 17:05 PM (just shy of 7 hours) which is pretty good considering a total distance of 390 km with one break for lunch at Mulbagal and a short coffee break at Murugan Idli.

I would recommend the Vellore - Katpadi - Chittoor option till such time the roadworks and diversions on the Ranipettai - Narharipeta section is done. It seems to be much better than driving through narrow village roads. Dont know much about the Ponnai route.

Cheers,
ssbiitm

[ravib]

Given current road conditions in both the routes (Chittoor route or Hosur route), driving time increased by almost an hour due to diversions and bridge/road construction work now. So these days easily it takes about 6 to 7 hours of drive, depending on time of the day and at moderate 100 kmph speed drive.

NE7 Bangalore-Chennai Expressway is the answer and the hope !
But am afraid, being a 4L highway, there will be more truck traffic too and with AI based speed cameras, even if it takes 3 to 4.5 hours of non-stop drive between Hoskote to Sriperumbudur , i will be happy

-Ravi

[csateesh]

Originally Posted by ravib

Given current road conditions in both the routes (Chittoor route or Hosur route), driving time increased by almost an hour due to diversions and bridge/road construction work now. So these days easily it takes about 6 to 7 hours of drive, depending on time of the day and at moderate 100 kmph speed drive.

NE7 Bangalore-Chennai Expressway is the answer and the hope !
But am afraid, being a 4L highway, there will be more truck traffic too and with AI based speed cameras, even if it takes 3 to 4.5 hours of non-stop drive between Hoskote to Sriperumbudur , i will be happy

-Ravi

What is the best route to Chennai now from BLR - Is it Chitoor via the Airport road ?

Does the start point in BLR change the possible route ?

[ravib]

Originally Posted by csateesh

What is the best route to Chennai now from BLR - Is it Chitoor via the Airport road ?

Does the start point in BLR change the possible route ?

Definitely depends on from where you start in Bangalore.
If you are in NOrth/East part, you can definitely take Chittoor route. If your around HSR/EC/South bangalore, take Hosur-Krishnagiri route.

-Ravi

[anandhsub]

Took the katpadi diversion on the way to Chennai on Friday. The first 1 km or so is quite bad with the potholes. Need to drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid the same although it becomes good post.

Anyone has idea on the current state of diversion on the usual route via Ranipet. Is it doable at night? Will be starting around 9 PM tonight from Chennai and if the road is motorable might prefer taking the normal route

[ampere]

Katpadi lacks a much needed bypass. If they can do that, it would be great. There is a connection I see coming up very close to VIT Vellore to the Chennai 6-lane (Krishnagiri-Arcot 6-lane).

It would have been great if this could have been extended to the north of Katpadi as a bypass.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Took the katpadi diversion on the way to Chennai on Friday. The first 1 km or so is quite bad with the potholes. Need to drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid the same although it becomes good post.

Anyone has idea on the current state of diversion on the usual route via Ranipet. Is it doable at night? Will be starting around 9 PM tonight from Chennai and if the road is motorable might prefer taking the normal route

Unfortunately No. For night drives, the only viable option is to go via Katpadi.
For day time, if it doesn't rain which is not the case now, and also if you have SUV/MUV, then as mentioned in below posts, you can venture out for 5 to 10 mins adventurous drive.

-Ravi

[csateesh]

Guess - It is only a matter of time before we start a new thread with the Title - Art of traveling between BLR -> MAS

People have become so desperate that they didn't mind driving via Thiruthani , Thiruvallur and Avadi to avoid the stretch between Vellore to Sriperambadur

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by ravib

Unfortunately No. For night drives, the only viable option is to go via Katpadi.

-Ravi

I wanted to avoid the 1 km of potholes in the Katpadi road and hence took the Hosur route after an year.. BIG mistake. Got stuck for 1 hour post Krishnagiri and took 6.5 hours of drive time starting at 10 PM. By far my slowest drive ever.

Originally Posted by csateesh

Guess - It is only a matter of time before we start a new thread with the Title - Art of traveling between BLR -> MAS

People have become so desperate that they didn't mind driving via Thiruthani , Thiruvallur and Avadi to avoid the stretch between Vellore to Sriperambadur

Actually Chennasamudram to Sriperumbadur and viceversa is a breeze now. Diversions have come down drastically and whatever is left is fairly smooth going without any stoppages.

It is the Bommasamudram work and then the diversions between Mulbagal and Nangli which are the pain on this route.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Anyone has idea on the current state of diversion on the usual route via Ranipet. Is it doable at night? Will be starting around 9 PM tonight from Chennai and if the road is motorable might prefer taking the normal route

Most likely you'll be routed through Vellore-Katpadi at night. I did Vellore-Katpadi-Chittoor around 2230-2330 ish and it was a breeze, you'll maintain 60-70 for the most part. Just tip toe around 1st gear speeds on that small stretch

Originally Posted by csateesh

People have become so desperate that they didn't mind driving via Thiruthani , Thiruvallur and Avadi to avoid the stretch between Vellore to Sriperambadur

Is it that bad? That too within 2 months? The worst was in late 2022 to mid 2023. During that time Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai-Tindivanam was the alternate I took, which was about 20-30 mins slower per Google Maps.

Avadi-Tiruvallur-Tiruttani and Tirumazhisai-Tiruvallur-Tiruttani are a pain all through the day. It is best driven dead of the night. It takes anywhere between 3-3.5 hrs from Madras to Tiruchanur PS4 during the day, and 3 hours from Tirumala to Madras when I start midnight and beyond, that's how massive the traffic affects your timings on the Madras-Tiruvallur-Tiruttani stretch regardless of the route you take.

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Actually Chennasamudram to Sriperumbadur and viceversa is a breeze now. Diversions have come down drastically and whatever is left is fairly smooth going without any stoppages.

Chennasamudram to Sriperumbadur is a long way from being a breeze, although it has much improved after the horrors of 2022 and 2023. There are still a number of diversions, abrupt transitions between completed roads and diversions, etc etc. Sustained speeds are impossible and it all takes much more time than before they started on the six laning.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Chennasamudram to Sriperumbadur is a long way from being a breeze, although it has much improved after the horrors of 2022 and 2023.

1hr 4 mins even on a long weekend vs 1hr 20mins on a weekday just a few months back is quite an improvement.

Even before the 6 laning started think it used to take about an hour.