National Highway 16 (NH 16) in India: Routes, Length, Entry/Exit Points & Rules

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The connectivity of roads is extremely important when it comes to the transportation of goods and people from one part of the country to another. Numerous vehicles move from one city to another through the national highway 16 everyday. Presently, India has the second-largest road network in the world, covering 67.73 lakh kilometres. Keep reading to know more about this highway.

National Highway 16. It passes through different terrains and picturesque landscapes on its way through the north-eastern border of the peninsula.

States Falling Under National Highway 16 (NH 16)

National Highway 16 passes through various cities and towns in four states namely 

• West Bengal
• Odisha
• Andhra Pradesh
• Tamil Nadu

Entry and Exit Points of National Highway 16

National Highway 16 starts from Kolkata,  in the state of West Bengal and end at NH-48 near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, it connects cities like Kharagpur, Baleshwar, Bhubaneshwar, Anandapuram Pendurthi, Anakapalli, Rajahmundary, Deverapalli, Gundugolanu,Vijayawada and Nellore.

In a densely populated country like India, millions of vehicles make use of national highways to travel across the country. Mentioned below are the types of vehicles allowed on NH 16:

• Cars (sedans, SUVs, pickups, vans, hatchbacks, compact SUVs, micro)
• Buses and trucks
• Light commercial vehicles (LCV)
• Up to three-axle vehicles
• Four to six-axle vehicles
• Seven or more axle vehicles

Here are the speed limits set by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) for various motor vehicles 

• Motorcycles: 80 km per hour
• Quadricycle: 60 km per hour
• Three-wheeled vehicles: 50 km per hour
• Motor vehicles with not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat used to carry passengers: 100 km per hour
• Motor vehicles having nine or more seats in addition to the driver’s seat used to carry passengers: 90 km per hour
• Motor vehicles used to carry goods: 80 km per hour

The routes of NH 16 offer some refreshing landscape views, as it runs through some of the most beautiful places of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Here are some of the amazing places that one must consider visiting.

1. West Bengal

As NH 16 passes through West Bengal, you can explore the following:

• Indian Botanical Garden
• Belur Math
• House of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
• Dakshineswar Kali Temple
• Digha Sea Beach

2. Odisha

Some of the popular places around NH 16 in Odisha are as follows:

• Bichitrapur Mangrove Sanctuary
• Panchalingeswar Shiva Temple
• Barabati Cuttack Fort
• Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves

3. Andhra Pradesh

NH 16 passes through some of the major towns and cities in this state such as: 

• Mandasa Palace
• Sri Talpagiri Ranganathaswamy Temple
• Tenneti Park
• Borra Caves
• Rishikonda Beach

4. Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is the last state where NH 16 reaches its point of culmination. Some of the places to visit in TamilNadu include:

• Brihadeeswara Temple
• Meenakshi Amman Temple
• Cholamadal Artist's Village
• Mahabalipuram Beach
• Tiger Cave
• Sterling Yercaud Lake

While travelling through National Highway 16, one should keep several things in mind, especially when travelling on this route for the first time.

• As NH 16 passes near the beaches keep an eye on the crowd and follow the signs and symbols on the road.

• Check the weather forecast before starting on NH 16 as coastal regions often get affected by storms and uncertain weather. You can get appropriate add-on covers with commercial vehicle insurance to protect your vehicle in such weather.

• Avoid driving long hours at night on NH 16, as it can lead to accidents due to exhaustion. 

• As the regions of NH 16 witness frequent rainfalls, drive carefully  within the speed limit as wet roads are prone to accidents.

To conclude, travelling carelessly on a highway can be risky. Hence, you need adequate information about the highway route and valid car insurance or bike insurance before planning a journey. Ensure to have prior knowledge of the route and local information. Hopefully, this article was able to serve the purpose well.