Solo ride from Bangalore to Bokaro by Saquib Ahamad in July 2020.
Route Taken: Bengaluru - Mulbagal - Chittoor by pass - Tirupathi - Naidupet - Nellore - Guntur - Vijaywada - Rajahmundry - Vizag - Srikakulam - Berhampur - Bhubaneshwar - Balasore - Baripada - Jamshola - Ghatshila - Jamshedpur - Dimna Lake - Purulia - Bokaro(Jharkhand) 1975kms
Date: 11-12 July 2020
Time: 11th July 06:30am Bengaluru - 11:00pm Vizag,
12th July 06:00am Vizag reached Bokaro 11:00pm. Total ~30 hrs on road.
Night Halt: Vizag
Researched a lot and stayed in a hotel where only a receptionist, guard and myself was there in night. Was in touch with him from several weeks.
Road conditions & Covid Check Posts:
Bangalore - Mulbagal - Chittoor Bypass:
Bangalore to Mulbagal - good 4 lane roads
After crossing Mulbagal town and toll, KA - AP border Covid checkpost is there.
Long line of cars parked on left causes traffic jam as people leisurely walk on road & trucks struggling to move out of barricades.
Park your car/2 wheeler on left and walk down to checkpost to enter details.
Mulbagal to Chittoor By pass- Good 4 lane roads
Chittoor By pass to Tirupati: By pass is still under construction at several places, 2 wheelers need to be careful as there are lot of slippery and slushy sections.
Rest road construction to Tirupati has majorly completed, still some work left.
Tirupati-Naidupet-Vijaywada:
Tirupati-Naidupet - usual 2 lane roads
Naidupet - Vijaywada - once joining East coast road AH45, its a mixture of 4 lane and 6 lane roads with few diversions until Ongole for flyover work. Very less traffic.
Vijaywada - Rajahmundry - Vizag:
Vijaywada to Eluru long diversions with slow moving car & truck traffic.
Eluru To Rajahmundry - series of various sized potholes which will force you to ride/drive like snake.
Rajahmundry to Vizag - good 4 lane roads with fewer potholes. Last 70kms is breeze to drive with lot of Truck and car traffic.
Vizag - Srikakulam - Berhampur:
Vizag to Srikakulam - wide 6 lane roads with lots of diversions. Can maintain high speeds but numerous diversions slows you down.
Srikakulam to Berhampur - Srikakulam to Ichchapuram again 6 lane roads with fewer diversions, Ichchapuram Toll is under construction.
After crossing Berhampur toll there is Orissa's first Covid Checkpost.
Stop to register details at 1 counter and get a slip at other counter.
Berhampur - Bhubaneshwar - Balsore:
Berhamour to Ganjam good 4 lane roads, one can maintain constant speeds.
Inside Ganjam town there is another Covid Registration Post of Orissa, have to Enter details again only.
Ganjam to Bhubaneshwar - good 4 lane roads all the way to Capital. Due to constant multiple lockdowns in Orissa, no traffic so can drive easily & quickly. Flyover work going on in Bhubaneshwar.
Bhuabneshwat to Balasore - good 4 lane roads with 2-3 diversions in between.
Balasore - Baripada - Jamshola:
After crossing Balasore take left from NH16 to NH18.
Balasore to Baripada is mixture of 4 lane and 2lane under construction roads. At three railway crossings roads are very bad with huge potholes. Be cautious in rainy season. Flyover work going in and before Baripada so lot of 2 lane section.
Baripada to Jamshola - Few stretches are under construction but all the way till Jharkhand border at Jamshola is 4 laned. Once nearing border, road deteriorates into 2 lane which is under construction. Lots and Lots of truck traffic on narrow 2 lane bridge at Jamshola.
Digital Covid Registration Centre at Jharkhand Border. Just verify with your phone number.
Jamshola - Ghatshila - Jamshepur:
Jamshola to 12kms to Ghatshila is awesome 4 laned roads with little work going at Baharagora turn.
12kms before Ghatshila to Jamshedpur - Complete 2 lane road is a mess, with lot of road widening and pothole. Expect lot of truck traffic from Baharagora to Jamshedpur. By passing Jamshedpur is painful with lot of dust and mud.
Jamshedpur - Dimna Lake - Purulia - Chas - Bokaro:
Jamshedpur to Dimna Lake to Purulia - Narrow 2 lane but best forest roads all the way till Katin Market.
From Katin Market to Barabhum to Purulia - good 2 lane with huge number of speed breakers. Jharkhand W. Bengal Border comes twice where they stop only cars and not 2 wheelers.
Good road to cover in night and even cars were plying at easily.
Purulia to Jharkhand Border is mess with all road work going on without proper road markings and lot of truck traffic.
Jharkhand Border to Chas and Boakro - amazing 4 lane roads.
At this Jharkhand border it is not stopping for any checking of any vechicles.
Fuel was easily available on the whole section.
Eateries were available on the whole section with many Highway Dhabas and Restaurants working.
I was carrying my own food and water.
Got some water from Vizag hotel too.
Thanks to Swayan Prasu Sahoo, his parents gave me lunch while crossing Bhubaneshwar :) .
Covid Checkposts:
KA - AP Border after Mulbagal Toll: Give information like name, phone number, coming from, going to, mode of vehicle, vehicle number, number of people in vehicle including rider/driver. No KA Exit Pass required, No AP Entry/Transit Pass required. They will verbally ask if you have any epass, say no epass required for your target state if its not mentioned, say yes for Jharkhand, and you can show your softcopy.
Have patience as queue is long and maintain distance.
Orissa Checkpost1 Berhampur:
2 counters are there, at first place fill in details same as mentioned above at 1st counter, at 2nd counter get a slip which will bear your name and phone number, with number of people in your vehicle.
No epass required to enter/transit Orissa.
Upon asking for epass tell you have entry pass for Jharkhand. No epass required for other states like Bihar or WBengal on this route.
Orissa Checkpost2 Ganjam:
Register your same details as above. Most time taking checkpost as officers talk a lot and are very slow while noting down your details. They wont check your slip nor ask for epass.
Jharkhand Checkpost - Jamshola: Only checkpost with computer setup. Jharkhand requires only entry epass. Can be obtained from epassjharkhand.nic.in
Fill in entry reason as "Essential Service" and in comments section fill visiting hometown.
Checkpost were asking phone number only.
West Bengal Checkpost: since it was night they didnt stop 2 wheeler, were noting down details of 4 wheeler only.
No epass required for AP, Orissa, WB or Bihar
Jharkhand requires entry epass only.
