[princegaurav]

Recently returned from a road trip (around 3 weeks covering various family functions) starting Kolkata - Varanasi - Lucknow - Meerut (via Agra) - Ghaziabad - Bharatpur - Varanasi (via Lucknow) - Kolkata. I was traveling with family including two infants and elderly parents. Here are my updates on the route condition. It took me around 16 to 17 hours to cover Kolkata to Varanasi stretch which included around 2-3 hours of halts/breaks. Roads in West Bengal and Bihar are undergoing 4 to 6-lane expansion and there were a lot of diversions making the progress very slow. Roads in Jharkhand were relatively better. Varanasi to Sultanpur has excellent 4-lane roads. Honestly, I didn't expect such good roads connecting Varanasi to the Purvanchal expressway near Sultanpur. After that as one would expect, the expressways in UP were the best part of the trip. Purvanchal and Lucknow-Agra expressways reminded me of US and UK standard highways. They were butter smooth, not sure why they kept the max speed limit to only 100, it should certainly be increased to 120 at least. On the contrary, the speed limit on the pretty bumpy Eastern Peripheral Expressway was 120. Not sure, how they determine the speed limits.

[SidharthaN]

Hi All,

I am planning to go to Kharagpur next week from Noida. Route I generally take is YEW, ALE, Raibareilly, Varanasi, Raniganj, Midnapore, Kharagpur.
I have not been on the Purvanchal Expressway. Need directions for:
1. After exiting ALE how do I get on Purvanchal Expressway.
2. Where does Purvanchal Expressway exit in Jharkhand or Bihar.
3. Time taken to cover Purvanchal Expressway.
4. Total Toll Cost for YEW, ALE, Purvanchal Expressway.
5. I will take 5-6 hours from Raniganj to KGP. Can this route be done in 12-15 hrs
I will be travelling with wife and a dog. Both of us know how to drive and have driven this route multiple times, twice with the dog. The intention of taking Purvanchal Expressway is to cut down time and omit the overnight halt I take at Varanasi.
Need quick response since am planning to leave either this Friday or next week.

[amartya_bhp]

Originally Posted by SidharthaN

Hi All,

I am planning to go to Kharagpur next week from Noida. Route I generally take is YEW, ALE, Raibareilly, Varanasi, Raniganj, Midnapore, Kharagpur.
I have not been on the Purvanchal Expressway. Need directions for:
1. After exiting ALE how do I get on Purvanchal Expressway.
2. Where does Purvanchal Expressway exit in Jharkhand or Bihar.
3. Time taken to cover Purvanchal Expressway.
4. Total Toll Cost for YEW, ALE, Purvanchal Expressway.
5. I will take 5-6 hours from Raniganj to KGP. Can this route be done in 12-15 hrs
I will be travelling with wife and a dog. Both of us know how to drive and have driven this route multiple times, twice with the dog. The intention of taking Purvanchal Expressway is to cut down time and omit the overnight halt I take at Varanasi.
Need quick response since am planning to leave either this Friday or next week.

Hi,

Did you complete the trip as above? Which route did you take and how was the experience? I am planning a trip with my 12 yr old son and would really like to know if the conditions have improved from my previous road trip along this route. Thanks

[SS-Traveller]

After a hiatus of about 1½ years, I completed my 46th one-way trip from Kolkata to Delhi with a Duster 85ps, nonstop in 25.5 hours (actual driving time 24 hours). Had flown down to Kolkata to collect a friend's car, check it out for fitness, and drive it back. Did the journey in 25.5 hours, with actual driving time of ~24 hours, which is perhaps the quickest I have managed in the last few years (IIRC the quickest ever for me has been 22 hours).





I had the occasion to travel on the Purvanchal Expressway for the first time, and it was a bit of an adventure finding the exact way from Durganti on NH19 to the road leading to Zamania and Ghazipur. Here's my track as I tried to find the right way.

[amartya_bhp]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

After a hiatus of about 1½ years, I completed my 46th one-way trip from Kolkata to Delhi with a Duster 85ps, nonstop in 25.5 hours (actual driving time 24 hours). Had flown down to Kolkata to collect a friend's car, check it out for fitness, and drive it back. Did the journey in 25.5 hours, with actual driving time of ~24 hours, which is perhaps the quickest I have managed in the last few years (IIRC the quickest ever for me has been 22 hours).

I had the occasion to travel on the Purvanchal Expressway for the first time, and it was a bit of an adventure finding the exact way from Durganti on NH19 to the road leading to Zamania and Ghazipur. Here's my track as I tried to find the right way.

Thanks for the update - can you please inform about the road/traffic conditions from Durganti to PEW entry point? Will it be possible to take this route using low-slung sedans? Also, how is the condition from Kolkata to Durganti? Last I traveled few months ago, lot of diversions and road closures were there. Thanks in advance.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by amartya_bhp

Thanks for the update - can you please inform about the road/traffic conditions from Durganti to PEW entry point? Will it be possible to take this route using low-slung sedans? Also, how is the condition from Kolkata to Durganti? Last I traveled few months ago, lot of diversions and road closures were there. Thanks in advance.

I spent a fair bit of time figuring out how to go across from NH19 to Purvanchal Expressway. Google Maps is mad, and tried to route me through some non-existent road at Sasaram first. At Durganti, it took me a couple of circuits of the locality and asking multiple people, until a motorcyclist and an autowallah managed to point me in the right direction. So I put dropped pins on Google Maps for future roadtrippers to follow and not get lost. Also made a video of how to get to the Durganti-Zamania-Ghazipur road.

The link is

Shared route
From Mohania Toll Plaza, Grand Trunk Rd, Mehro, Bihar 821105 to Ghazipur mau interchange, Purvanchal Expy, Raipur Waghpur, Uttar Pradesh 233226 via NH 19.

2 hr 39 min (89*km)
For the best route in current traffic visit https://maps.app.goo.gl/bqh7CkK9vGtdzjcg7

The video:

https://youtu.be/onI74DSqG98

The link is also there in the description section of the video.

It took me 2¼ hours to get on to the Purvanchal Expressway after I turned off from the NH19 at Durganti, including a 10-minute LILO (Liquid In, Liquid Out) break about 10 km before Zamania, driving a Duster 85ps diesel. For a low-slung sedan, a little care while driivng should safely see you across the rough patch under the NH19 as you cross over, and the video should make it amply clear how the condition of the road is - unless there's torrential rain and the underpass is flooded / filled with deep slush, I don't see a problem.

Edit: regarding you question about road condition from Kolkata to Durganti - the section from Bagodar to Dobhi is bad, with rough patches, traffic jams and roadwork in progress. Also, the section from Gurap to Panagarh has similar diversions, but the surfacing of those diversions is smoother, and the traffic a little less unruly.

[A_Basu]

Has anyone recently done the stretch between Varanasi and Durgapur? I need to drive next week, but GoogleMaps says that the route is closed.



The suggested route is via Obra and Hazaribagh but am not very hopeful of the road conditions being good on this route.

[ssjr0498]

Hello All,

I am currently planning a Blr-Hyd-Jabalpur- Bandhavgarh-Jabaplur-Kolkata-Vizag-Blr trip in December with my Wife and 8yr old kid.

The only section of the road where I am slightly concerned is the JBP-CCU section. Google maps suggests 3 routes and I am of the opinion of taking the one that bypasses mirzapur and varanasi and hits the Delhi-Kol highway and just keep following that route till Kol.

Need suggestions

a. If this is the best/fastest route as I plan on doing the JBP-ccu stretch in 1 day.
b. If we decide to halt at Varanasi, any recommendations for a place of stay and then shall we take the same route (Delhi-Kol highway) thereafter

Thanks in advance

[amartya_bhp]

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

Hello All,


b. If we decide to halt at Varanasi, any recommendations for a place of stay and then shall we take the same route (Delhi-Kol highway) thereafter

Thanks in advance

Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar, just off the main highway so easy to hop in and out

[Vipin Kumar]

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

b. If we decide to halt at Varanasi, any recommendations for a place of stay and then shall we take the same route (Delhi-Kol highway) thereafter

There is Hotel Grapevine also, just between the Highway, NH 19, and Ramnagar. Shouldn't be difficult to reach from NH.

[ssjr0498]

Thank you so much folks! Any views on the road conditions and the choice of route?

Originally Posted by amartya_bhp

Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar, just off the main highway so easy to hop in and out

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

There is Hotel Grapevine also, just between the Highway, NH 19, and Ramnagar. Shouldn't be difficult to reach from NH.

[amartya_bhp]

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

Thank you so much folks! Any views on the road conditions and the choice of route?

I have done Varanasi to Kolkata several times and there is a lot of construction everywhere. This results in diversions and slows you down - you would be lucky if you can maintain average speeds of 55-60 kmph. The road conditions are ok, even though there are very limited amount of stretches where you can really let out the horses.

When do you plan to travel? I am leaving from Delhi for Kolkata DAT, so can bring a fresh perspective, straight from the mint!

[ssjr0498]

I am planning sometime during the 2nd last week of December!

Originally Posted by amartya_bhp

When do you plan to travel? I am leaving from Delhi for Kolkata DAT, so can bring a fresh perspective, straight from the mint!

[arnab.i@gmail.c]

Just completed a 2800km stretch (in a span of 5 days) from Kolkata to Lucknow and then to Agra and back with my Wife and 2 daughters (aged 11 and 18). I did all the driving while Mrs Wife did mostly kept her additional vision on the road. Here is my route and knowledge gathered.

Disclaimer: I dont have a lot of driving experience. This is my first time on this route (previous I did North Bengal a few times) and also the first time of more than 1500km in a single trip

We started on October 19th at 5:30 PM from Behala (South-West Calcutta). We packed our usual drive-trip items (clothes, medicines and snacks). Filled up tank from a pump near Woodlands Hospital.

Roads till Dankuni had usual pre-puja crowd, we had two diversions before Dankuni. From Dankuni to Bardhaman bypass there were about 10 to 15 diversions. Many more on Bardhaman Bypass. I felt all the diversions made it slower with trucks moving slowing through them. I just had to sit behind my wheel and negotiate through the traffic till after Bardhaman Bypass.

From Bardhaman Bypass to Asansol were relatively peaceful as trucks were fewer in numbers and diversions were less crowded. Though there were still some diversions. We reached Asansol at 9:30PM had finished Dinner from Sher E Punjab (Gopal Nagar NH2 Near Kalla More). Modest dinner with rice, dal, curries and some chicken. With the frustration of the last for hours made the food way more tastier than it should have. We paid about 1200 for the four of us. This place is on the left while going towards Delhi so we did not have add kilometers to our route.

From then on my fellow riders slowly dozed off and the road was a treat at night. I moved with an average speed of 50 kmph with occasional recharging breaks of 5 to 10 minutes. I figured that fuel is way more cheap in Jharkhand than West Bengal or Bihar. But I did not fill up in Jharkhand as I wanted to reduce re-fueling. I did stop and refueled at Aurangabad Bihar with about 109/litre. We stopped at around 5AM in Sasaram at Mountain View Hotel in Sasaram. Its a shabby hotel just on the highway. After a stort wait their security staff woke up the service desk and we could freshen up quickly. Basically brush our teeth and use a toilet while some paratha and tea were getting prepared.

After paratha and tea treat we headed for Mohania toll Plaza and the most dreadful part of the journey at 6AM. I must thank everyone for the previous posts in this blog for this stretch of the drive. From all the discussions I understood that the way via Durganti seemed most reasonable. But taking the Durganti-Gazipur road was way much easier. You could take the service road (in a reasonable state as on October 2023) here (25.21166949561222, 83.52128844185478) and then cros the flyover from the underpass. From there on you can take the Durgawati Bridge and take the immediate right towards Gazipur. I did not have to take the muddy road as explained in a previous post. Thankfully things are turning better. We crossed this point at around 7AM.

The road from Durganti to Purvanchal expressway is via Zamania and Gazipur. The first 15 km or so is through villages and with a lot of unknown speed breakers. The remainder of the road (excepth the last 20 Km) is not too much better. I would recommend driving with patience here as I found most people would not respond to horns from vehicles. We stopped at a place after Zamania. Here the Ganga touches the road at a close point. The journey from here on was uneventful. We reached te Purvanchal at around 9AM in the morning. Owning to the fact that we had crossed Durganti pretty early in the morning the local crowd was minimal. But I think this road is very narrow (from NH19 to the right turn from Durganti to Gazipur) for both side traffic. This stretch is about 300m, so not to worry too much.

Purvanchal expressway needs no explaination, but I must say I was trying to drive at 100 kmph with occassionally hitting 105 kmph. There are about 5 speed monitors between the point we entered and Lucknow. At least 3 of them were working and one of them marked my speed to be 109 kmph. I was not booked for speed (at least not until now). I think they have a buffer of 10kmph. Here is something I found interesting that some vehicles were easily overtaking me at 130-150 kmph. I dont know why or how, but I am keen on finding out if its somehow possible to drive faster. Its really very difficult (even with a 7 year old Baleno) to keep speed at 100 kmph without cruise control.

There were no fueling stations in the first 50km of Purvanchal expressway. But there are 3 food/toilet stops. They serve basic snacks and tea. There were 2 fuel pumps with fairly clean toilets and water. We stopped in one of them after 150km of our journey through Purvanchal EW. Otherwise we reached Lucknow (Indraprasta Inn) at 12:20 sharp.

I have some more things to write for later, which includes:
1. Journey to Agra via Agra-Lucknow EW and back
2. An incident with the vehicle causing much trouble in my onward trip and how it was resolved (lovely experience)
3. Return journey via Lucknow -> Purvanchal -> 123km exit (Sultanpur Exit) -> Varanasi/Mughal Sarai -> Mohania -> Kolkata

[Vinod_nair]

AH1 Highway Kanpur Prayagraj update:
Did this trip yesterday morning with wife, started from home @7.20am, my house is 5km from expressway, reached Indian Coffee House, Civil Lines allahabad @9.50am average speed 90/100kmph. Total 200 km one-way.

Excellent 6 lane expressway, very well marked, even the smallest villages are mentioned.

Came back today, had lunch at Jawan Dhaba, after Khaga, always stop where some trucks are parked, dal roti subzi with salad was pure plain and simple.

First solo drive after my Pacemaker implementation in 2021. Have done many Lucknow trips.