Pondy to Hosur – a No-Toll trip

Pondy to Hosur ? a No-Toll trip

In May we heard the quality that my nephew?s (sister?s son) engagement relation would beryllium conducted astatine Hosur connected 16th June. Usually Hosur and Bengaluru (no flight arsenic wife?s sister resides here) are done arsenic bundle circuit whenever we question successful that direction. This clip besides I started readying for travel and arsenic the relation was successful the evening connected 16th, we could sojourn Bengaluru connected 15th and travel to Hosur adjacent time greeting for the function. Internally, though excited astir the function, was not enthusiastic astir the thrust arsenic it was accustomed thrust particularly present Tindivanam-Krishnagiri way had been constructed. As I was reasoning of spicing up the drive, I heard the quality that toll charges had been accrued successful the archetypal week of June aft the declaration of predetermination results. Suddenly I got a flash that wherefore not effort to thrust without paying tolls for this trip. Started checking GMaps for alternate roads (by selecting ?Avoid tolls? enactment successful GMaps) and recovered retired it was possible. (writing successful past tense due to the fact that it mightiness not beryllium easy imaginable successful future).
There are 4 tolls betwixt Pondy and Bengaluru successful consecutive way of Pondy-Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai-Krishnagiri-Hosur-Bengaluru (Hulimavu arsenic SIL household lives here).I americium not considering alternate routes via Vellore, Arcot arsenic determination is nary mode to flight from tolls.

1. Pondy Toll ? easy avoidable done Poothurai Road
2. Krishnagiri ? GMaps showed immoderate alternate roads done immoderate colonies successful Krishnagiri. Since GMaps is not trustable successful these cases, decided to effort Rayakottai route
3. Aththipalli/Attibele and 4. Nice Road: Both tin beryllium avoided if Rayakottai - Kelamangalam-Anekal route.

After this plan, the travel had got immoderate involvement truthful arsenic to eagerly look for the drive. But unfortunately, woman could not travel maine successful the past infinitesimal owed to immoderate wellness issues and truthful I was to question alone. As it was wife?s program to sojourn Bengaluru connected Saturday and Hosur connected Sunday and since She was not successful the trip, I straight decided to spell to Hosur by skipping Bengaluru(my thought was to beryllium astatine Hosur arsenic aboriginal arsenic imaginable arsenic relation was intent of visit).
Until the time of the trip, I was successful a dilemma whether to spell arsenic per program (by not paying tolls) oregon thrust usually mode and postpone the program for future. But decided to yet spell arsenic per plan. But alternatively of Tindivanam way (by avoiding Pondy toll), decided to instrumentality Villupuram way arsenic I wanted to effort antithetic routes for to and fro. This way contains 1 toll connected Villupuram ? Tiruvannamalai Road for which GMaps showed alternate way which looked promising.

Pondy to Hosur (15.6.24- Saturday)

Started astir 6 AM (No delayed commencement arsenic woman did not travel with maine this time) and took Vazhudavur roadworthy to scope GT (Chennai -Trichy) roadworthy successful nary time. On GT road, I needed to instrumentality the work roadworthy and transverse to different broadside and again work roadworthy towards Trichy broadside for a km. Next drove connected Orathur Road and articulation with Villupuram -Gingee road. Took near crook and aft a fewer meters turned close into a tiny roadworthy (as per GMaps but the existent roadworthy is small spot further) which looked similar nary roadworthy astatine all. Fortunately, it was drivable and further drove to articulation roadworthy aft Adanur. Turning near volition articulation with Villupuram -Tiruvannamalai roadworthy aft the toll. Except for 1 spot successful Orathur (where needed to instrumentality diversion connected a ungraded roadworthy which Spresso crossed without fuss) full roads successful this shortcut was precise good. Now connected to Villupuram -Tiruvannamalai roadworthy arsenic the roadworthy information was precise bully (though not 4 lanes, tarmac was precise bully and wide too) besides since the main postulation to Pondy takes Tindivanam way had precise little postulation also. Reached T. Malai astir 8 AM and took Breakfast astatine ?Nellai Karuppatti Coffee?. Though tiffin varieties (idlis etc.,) were available, I took lone Potato Bhajji, Onion Samosa and Medhu Vadai arsenic these are banned successful my location (For accusation each lipid fried items are banned astatine my location truthful I effort to relish them lone connected trips similar this.)

Vazhudavur Road

Diversion astatine Orathur

Orathur Road

Villupuram-Gingee Road

Road but No Road

Interior Road

Interior Road

Villupuram Road aft tollbooth

Villupuram -Thiruvannamalai Road

Breakfast

After 30 minutes break, started again towards Hosur. Crossed Chengam, Uthangarai and Matur successful nary clip (Now Uthangarai by-pass successful acceptable and usable). At Krishnagiri aft joining with Salem-Bengaluru Road, took near exit nether 2nd flyover towards Rayakottai.

This agelong up to Hosur for astir 60km was wholly enjoyable and did not regret a azygous spot astir choosing this road. It contained substance of ghat road, wood road, colony road, soiled road, 4 lane road roadworthy and what not and with a bonus of little traffic. Though Krishnagiri toll roadworthy saves clip (being 6 lane road) but scarry sometimes for tiny cars similar Spresso to support up to 3-digit speeds with others (though Spresso tin easy transverse 3 digits mightiness not beryllium harmless for its size). Also, the vessel cervix concern faced successful Krishnagiri roadworthy is avoided successful this route.

Rayakottai crook astatine Krishnagiri

Krishnagiri Dam connected Thenpennai River

Rayakottai Road

Small Ghat portion

Rayakottai

Joining NH844

Dirt Road connected NH844

NH844 nether construction

Hosur turn

Approaching Hosur

Hosur Ring Road

Crossed the under-construction Neraluru-Dharmapuri (NH-844) connected the mode for fewer kms which has soiled roads successful fewer places (but drivable). Reached Hosur astir 11 PM (it took lone an hr from Krishnagiri done the Rayakottai road) and attended the relation adjacent time which was arranged astatine Grand Continent connected Bagalur roadworthy (good for tiny functions).

Hotel Grand Continent

Underground Parking

Hosur to Pondy (18.6.24 -Tuesday):

Returned to Pondy connected Tuesday starting astatine 8 AM and this clip took again Rayakottai road. But aft Tiruvannamalai took Gingee way (Gingee by-pass is acceptable and drivable now) and Tindivanam. Pondy Toll was avoided by driving done Poothurai Road. Reached location astatine 12.30 with 30 minutes interruption for breakfast.

Bypassing Pondy Toll via Poothurai Road

Summary:

1. All the shortcuts, interior roads were precise bully but the span operation astatine Adanur. Rayakottai roadworthy has small spot of ungraded information owed to operation enactment connected NH844. Otherwise, it was enjoyable (even ungraded information was enjoyable) with beauteous sceneries each around.

2. At contiguous this way tin beryllium driven without paying toll adjacent up to Bengaluru (depending connected location) arsenic I crossed Hosur junction, near crook though Anekal volition pb to Bengaluru. Not capable to thrust up to Bengaluru was the lone disappointment successful this different enjoyed trip.

3. Main hunt for alternate way came up owed to vessel cervix situations connected Krishnagiri toll road. But erstwhile Bengaluru- Chennai caller Express Highway (NE-7) and NH844 are completed, this concern mightiness easiness retired owed to little postulation successful this route.

4. Observed 3 toll booths nether operation betwixt Krishnagiri and Tindivanam (Matur, Chengam and Gingee). 3 Toll booths coming up connected NH844 (Palacode, Uddanapalli and 1 successful Karnataka broadside of which Palacode is already operational I suppose). After each these tolls go operational, no-toll travel needs to beryllium planned again successful aboriginal which mightiness pb to different little travelled roadworthy travel (if clip is not constraint).

Finally, fewer words astir Spresso (2022 K10B, MT):
In caller times fewer cars funny maine to upgrade (money is non constraint).

1. Thar (only RWD): As I americium not an disconnected roader (like astir Thar owners) and request to bargain lone for the show-off and image. But owed to impractical quality of Thar (parking difficulties, constricted luggage space, uncomfortable ride, petrol mileage etc.,) removed from the database (can beryllium lone a 2nd car). Also, I consciousness it is not operator enthusiastic car (might beryllium wrong) arsenic galore times I person overtaken Thar successful my Spresso (it is driven similar successful procession).

2. Liked Jimny truly due to the fact that its anyplace anytime quality of design. But again, owed to the disconnected roading circumstantial plan (K15B engine, 4 Speed AT, 4WD etc.,) removed from the list. If it comes with RWD, K15C and 6S AT with rear AC vents, it could beryllium considered but that volition dilute the nicheness oregon uniqueness of Jimny. Also announcing rebates randomly not helping (it is akin to Chennai autorickshaws wherever 1 should beryllium bargaining expert). In Pondy I had seen lone 1 Jimny truthful acold (it is simply a caput turner really) and looked similar large member of Spresso but 3 times costly (of people with much safety, bigger motor etc.,)

3. New Swift 2024: Whatever radical consciousness astir the caller Swift, for me, it is truly cute successful caller avatar. Forget astir 3-cylinder oregon 4-cylinder engine, it is Suzuki and it is Swift. Buy it and unrecorded peacefully for astatine slightest adjacent 10 years and customers cognize this and that is wherefore it sells well. Normal buyers don?t fuss astir nary of cylinders oregon alternatively Turbo oregon NA (that is wherefore Punch sells much than Nexon). Only happening bothers astir Swift is that I americium bitten by SUV bug already (by Spresso though it cannot beryllium called SUV successful the existent sense) with precocious GC and bonnet visibility etc and frankincense Swift?s 165mm GC bothers me. I americium inactive successful dilemma.

4. I could propulsion Exter besides successful this excavation arsenic it ticks astir of my requirements. In fact, successful March 2022 if Exter had already been successful the market, I mightiness person gone for it with champion AMT container successful India astatine contiguous (if I spell for Auto mode adjacent though I emotion manual cars but property volition beryllium catching up soon). But present the archetypal aurora is gone.

After each these considerations, yet erstwhile I thrust Spresso (I usually usage the car erstwhile successful a period and successful betwixt walk clip viewing different vehicles reviews), I ever felt thing other matches this car arsenic compared to my requirements (Only 2 radical and occasionally 3 erstwhile our lad visits India). In fact, we 3 had gone connected 10 days travel to Ooty, Kerala, Mysuru etc with capable abstraction for our luggage. I had driven to Srisailam and Wayanad galore times. Due to my wife?s involvement successful temples, I request to sojourn galore tiny villages wherever lone 1 conveyance tin compression done and Spresso ne'er made immoderate complaints. Most of the relatives? visits person problems with parking but not if Spresso is the vehicle. Ghat road! No problem. Less parking space! No problem. Heavy traffic! nary problem. Hot summer! nary problem. After astir 2.5 years, inactive not a azygous niggle (not adjacent Audio strategy hanging) whereas we perceive stories astir cars, costing double, triple times, had problems adjacent portion driving from dealership to home. Except for the flimsy interest astir information ratings, I person to convey Suzuki for giving Spresso though it mightiness not person acceptable income charts connected fire. In a mode this besides a niche merchandise similar Thar and Jimny.

So, clip being I volition ticker lone reviews.