Comments on: Bangalore to Calcutta – Part 1 http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/ Roadtrip Logs, Driving Tips, Shortcuts and more.. Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:48:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Das http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-1891 Das Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:16:16 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-1891 Hi Sanjeev, Assuming that you are heading to Bhubaneswar - Puri from Kolkata, you will not face any problems regarding road quality on your way. If you are headed from Bangalore, then yes.. the roads are under construction as soon as you near Chilika in Orissa. In fact some parts are the good old NH5. Have a great trip. Hi Sanjeev,
Assuming that you are heading to Bhubaneswar – Puri from Kolkata, you will not face any problems regarding road quality on your way. If you are headed from Bangalore, then yes.. the roads are under construction as soon as you near Chilika in Orissa. In fact some parts are the good old NH5. Have a great trip.

]]> By: Sanjeev Das http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-1853 Sanjeev Das Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:27:57 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-1853 Thanks for the excellent travellogue on your trip to Kolkata. I am planning a trip to Bhubaneswar - Puri during Puja in September 2009. I have read in other older blogs that the NH5 section near the Orissa, Andhra border is still not complete. Can you please provide more info on the same? Thanks for the excellent travellogue on your trip to Kolkata.
I am planning a trip to Bhubaneswar – Puri during Puja in September 2009. I have read in other older blogs that the NH5 section near the Orissa, Andhra border is still not complete. Can you please provide more info on the same?

]]> By: Das http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-401 Das Sat, 23 May 2009 03:10:53 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-401 Your summary is correct. There are no rebel problems on the main road. That is mostly inside Orissa (though I never met any but heard a lot of stories about them from Locals). NH5 continues till Balasore, the bad patches are near Chilka and Ichhapuram. After Khurda the road is more or less done (don't remember much of it as I came and joined back from Konark at Khurda itself). In Chennai, you may face problems with directions and the general lack of help from Locals. Try and head to the newly made Flyover (it's a major one) and go straight through. Ask a Police person when you are entering Chennai. Your Registration plate determines the kind of information you will get. Your summary is correct. There are no rebel problems on the main road. That is mostly inside Orissa (though I never met any but heard a lot of stories about them from Locals). NH5 continues till Balasore, the bad patches are near Chilka and Ichhapuram. After Khurda the road is more or less done (don’t remember much of it as I came and joined back from Konark at Khurda itself).

In Chennai, you may face problems with directions and the general lack of help from Locals. Try and head to the newly made Flyover (it’s a major one) and go straight through. Ask a Police person when you are entering Chennai. Your Registration plate determines the kind of information you will get.

]]> By: Sasanka Sekhar Chanda http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-392 Sasanka Sekhar Chanda Fri, 22 May 2009 20:13:44 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-392 Das [Sorry cannot find your full name], I could not get the content of Tirthankar's log, got an invalid link. If the link works for you it would be great if you could mail the story to sasanka_s1@rediffmail.com. My understanding: If I stick to NH5[GQ]and headed to calcutta , bad roads in Andhra and Orrisa sections are only in [Ichhapuram till Khurda (or little after) ]. Places taken over by rebels, or where road simply vanishes and gets replaced with a set of potholes or paddy fields do not occur. After Khurda [approx], there is no big road problem till kharagpur/kolaghat, not even one at the Bengal-Orissa border. Let me know if something in this summary is not correct. I am familiar with Kharagpur-Kolkata road section, and have sufferred the 1-way on Kolaghat bridge a few times. I have travelled Bangalore-Chennai via Krishnagiri. But I dread the dug up stretch on Ponamalee road entry to Chennai and finding the NH5 towards Vijaywada [or vijayawada road] with no language support. I am weighing, which is the lesser evil- that or the narrow sections in the bangalore-hoskote-Tirupati {chittor actually]-Nellore section. And a baby is involved - a hyper active 2.5 year old. Probably my dream trip needs to wait :=). Thank you very much for the information. Regards Sasanka Das [Sorry cannot find your full name],

I could not get the content of Tirthankar’s log, got an invalid link. If the link works for you it would be great if you could mail the story to sasanka_s1@rediffmail.com.

My understanding: If I stick to NH5[GQ]and headed to calcutta , bad roads in Andhra and Orrisa sections are only in [Ichhapuram till Khurda (or little after) ]. Places taken over by rebels, or where road simply vanishes and gets replaced with a set of potholes or paddy fields do not occur. After Khurda [approx], there is no big road problem till kharagpur/kolaghat, not even one at the Bengal-Orissa border. Let me know if something in this summary is not correct.

I am familiar with Kharagpur-Kolkata road section, and have sufferred the 1-way on Kolaghat bridge a few times.

I have travelled Bangalore-Chennai via Krishnagiri. But I dread the dug up stretch on Ponamalee road entry to Chennai and finding the NH5 towards Vijaywada [or vijayawada road] with no language support. I am weighing, which is the lesser evil- that or the narrow sections in the bangalore-hoskote-Tirupati {chittor actually]-Nellore section. And a baby is involved – a hyper active 2.5 year old. Probably my dream trip needs to wait :=).

Thank you very much for the information.
Regards
Sasanka

]]> By: Das http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Das Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:00:19 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-27 @Sasanka: I had to get to Rourkela and that's the maximum stretch of Bad Roads that I faced through Talcher. If you are headed to Calcutta, you stick to NH5 (GQ) till Balasore and take the Golden Quadrilateral directly to Kharagpur. Careful of Kolaghat bridge after Kharagpur. Road condition, from Ichhapuram till Khurda (or little after) is under construction and stalled in some places. Coming to your second question, if you stick to NH5 in Andhra, the going is really good. I would not recommend via Tirupati although that is shorter. Enjoy the 4 lane GQ roads via Krishnagiri and Chennai. With 2 drivers and no kids around, you can start early from Bangalore, like 3AM or 4AM, and reach Vijaywada definitely by afternoon 2 PM. You can push till Vizag (4 more hours) on the same day. Start early and target Calcutta the next day. Ideally it should take around 36 hours of total driving. Check Team BHP Tirthankar's log here as well. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/46904-drivoblog-bangalore-kolkata-36-hours-nonstop-11.html @Sasanka: I had to get to Rourkela and that’s the maximum stretch of Bad Roads that I faced through Talcher. If you are headed to Calcutta, you stick to NH5 (GQ) till Balasore and take the Golden Quadrilateral directly to Kharagpur. Careful of Kolaghat bridge after Kharagpur. Road condition, from Ichhapuram till Khurda (or little after) is under construction and stalled in some places.

Coming to your second question, if you stick to NH5 in Andhra, the going is really good. I would not recommend via Tirupati although that is shorter. Enjoy the 4 lane GQ roads via Krishnagiri and Chennai. With 2 drivers and no kids around, you can start early from Bangalore, like 3AM or 4AM, and reach Vijaywada definitely by afternoon 2 PM. You can push till Vizag (4 more hours) on the same day. Start early and target Calcutta the next day. Ideally it should take around 36 hours of total driving. Check Team BHP Tirthankar’s log here as well. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/46904-drivoblog-bangalore-kolkata-36-hours-nonstop-11.html

]]> By: Sasanka Sekhar Chanda http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Sasanka Sekhar Chanda Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:17:02 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-26 I have some questions: 1. As in April 2009: Which road sections in Orissa are the worst? Start, End, Distance, Time it takes to cover them. 2. Any such sections in Andhra? [I know the Bengal and KN parts :-)]. 3. We are 2 drivers who do 5AM to 8PM [day driving only]@13 hr a day. Realistically can we make it from BLR to CCU in 2 days and 5 hours of Day 3 {total 30 driving hours}? Our car is 2005 Esteem VXI. Comparison: We do Bangalore - Panaji 630 KM in about 13 hrs. [over 400 km non-highway]. 4. Would you recommend going via Tirupati / Nellore, in place of via Chennai? 5. Your account mentions the Coromondol Crash. That means your travel was in Feb mid of 2009? [Meaning I can expect no improvement of road conditions]. Any other information from someone travelled recently or any road condition/ detour tip from your return will be helpful. I have some questions:

1. As in April 2009: Which road sections in Orissa are the worst? Start, End, Distance, Time it takes to cover them.

2. Any such sections in Andhra? [I know the Bengal and KN parts :-) ].

3. We are 2 drivers who do 5AM to 8PM [day driving only]@13 hr a day. Realistically can we make it from BLR to CCU in 2 days and 5 hours of Day 3 {total 30 driving hours}? Our car is 2005 Esteem VXI.
Comparison: We do Bangalore – Panaji 630 KM in about 13 hrs. [over 400 km non-highway].

4. Would you recommend going via Tirupati / Nellore, in place of via Chennai?

5. Your account mentions the Coromondol Crash. That means your travel was in Feb mid of 2009?
[Meaning I can expect no improvement of road conditions]. Any other information from someone travelled recently or any road condition/ detour tip from your return will be helpful.

]]> By: jaydeep http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-14 jaydeep Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:58:52 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-14 excellent. I've read this whole thing twice. And would read it at least once more till your next on-road venture gets featured :) _Jaydeep excellent. I’ve read this whole thing twice.
And would read it at least once more till your next on-road venture gets featured :)
_Jaydeep

]]> By: das http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-13 das Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:35:35 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-13 Sure. Anytime. Roadtrips are the best according to me. Sure. Anytime.
Roadtrips are the best according to me.

]]> By: Dhruba http://www.timeline-studios.com/roadblog/2009/03/01/extra-long-roadtrip-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Dhruba Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:38:01 +0000 http://timeline-studios.com/roadblog/?p=19#comment-12 Wonderful. Great one to talk about. Would like to have a long road journey with you in future, we can share driving part by part !! Wonderful. Great one to talk about. Would like to have a long road journey with you in future, we can share driving part by part !!

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