BHPian raviemailid recently shared this with other enthusiasts: TL;DR BCE stretch is a gem, but everything beyond Vellore will make you question life choices. Bangalore-Chennai BCE Adventure I started at 2:50 am on 27-Aug, Thursday morning from Hebbal, took the shiny new BCE route, reached Kanchipuram Saravana Bhavan by 7:10. A quick 30 mins break for breakfast and charging, reached Thiruvanmiyur by 10:20 am. For return, started around 6:30 pm from Thiruvanmiyur, I was near Chromepet at 8 – did my dinner there and reached home by 2:40 am. There was a little 5-mins break at V’Kota for water/tea. Road Condition:Bangalore ORR: Honestly, if I hadn’t started before dawn, I’d probably still be at Hoskote. At this point, I’ve given up on ever experiencing ORR as an actual outer ring road in my lifetime. They should just rename it to something more honest so we can all stop having unrealistic expectations from this mythical ‘ring road’!Post-Hoskote Toll: Here’s a rare miracle-roads fixed! Smooth tarmac, no surprise craters. The speed bumps and patchy road after the Hoskote toll were repaired.BCE Ramp & Stretch: The BCE entry ramp was beautifully marked, and once I hit that stretch… bliss. 71 km of pure driving heaven. I saw maybe 20 vehicles in total. No tolls yet!Sundrapalya to Pallikonda Village Roads: Two-lane but well-maintained. At night, it was smooth sailing. In the day, I can see this turning into a slow-moving parade of tractors and bikes, and autos. Few normal speedbreakers here and there, and two giant ones when you touch NH48 at Pallikonda.NH48 to Vellore: Decent roads and manageable traffic. The roads we deserve!Post-Vellore/Kanchipuram: Friends, this is where hope goes to coma. Diversions everywhere, traffic that tests the limits of human patience. Honestly, the only winning strategy here is to drive entirely at night (if you’re into night drives), leave at 11 PM, and reach by 6 AM. You can spare yourself from the traffic, but you still have to tolerate diversions.Crossing the Sundraplaya-Pallikonda stretch at night was no issue at all, didn’t face or feel any safety concern. There are quite a few stops on this stretch for tea, chips, a water bottle, and some light snacks that are open late at night (or maybe the whole night). I didn’t need to stop while going, but on return, I did stop at a place near V’Kota at around 12:30 or so midnight, and a wonderful lady gave a sugar-loaded tea! There are plenty of fuel stations – so you’ll be alright after crossing BCE at Sundrapalya. For EV Owners:Charging Black Hole: From BCE start to Pallikonda, there’s nothing. If you don’t plan your charge, you’re most likely to call RSA.Pallikonda Lifeline: There’s a ChargeZone 360 kW charger (slight detour) next to a CCD. CCD isn’t 24×7, so if you’re thinking of cappuccino in odd hours, tough luck. Zeon has a charger nearby too, but you’ll have to do a U-turn to get to it.Kanchipuram Saravana Bhavan: Two 120 kW guns-perfect place for both you and your EV to refuel.Post Pallikonda: Chargers pop up more frequently. On return, I topped up at Novotel OMR on a static charger before heading back, so I skipped any emergency mid-drive charging drama.Sunrise view at Pallikonda Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
