Drove Chennai - Pune - Chennai in the last week of December 2018.
Chennai to Vellore - potholes have surfaced plus heavy traffic (toll for this road is a licensed fraud)
Vellore to Krishnagiri - Awesome roads as always
Krishnagiri to Electronic city - good roads
Nice road - Nice !
Electronic City to Tumkur - 2 lane with heavy truck and misc traffic
Tumkur to Chitradurga - awesome roads
Chitradurga to Dharwad - 6 laning in progress - lot of diversions and uneven tarmac. Watch out for speed/car breakers.
Hubli-Dharwad - 2 lane "highway" for which toll of 70 Rs is promptly collected (no Fastag option) Got stuck due to a trailer accident.
Belagum - Kolhapur - good roads
Kolhapur to Satara - good roads but watch out for wrong side driving, crazy bikers & tractors - thankfully the tractors (most of them) have a big reflective cloth
Satara to Pune - Not so good roads
Lot of food options once you get into MH - similary lot of food options even in the TN side. The KA side seemed to have lesser options (or maybe it wasnt as well advertised)
Fastag - MH doesnt have dedicated lines, most of the lines are hybrid. KA - though they have separate lane, not enforced - saw this being enforced only in the Ranipet - Hosur section. Toll collection took time though the lines weren't lengthy - Govt should re-introduce or enforce dedicated lines.
Saw police cars at various places in KA but didn't seem to intercept anyone - possibly they are now e-challaning.
MH cops stopped outstation cars (got stopped both ways) and check for documents esp PUC.
Stayed at Hotel Naveen Regency, Chitradurga, a good hotel with spacious rooms, during the return journey.
Content courtesy: P. Krishnamurthy.
