Chennai - Ullundurpettai - Salem route

[mail4ajo]

Has anyone taken the Chennai - Ullundurpettai - Salem road recently say in the last 2 -3 weeks? I am driving from Chennai to Tiruvalla on Saturday. The Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Thoopur - Bhavani road is better but longer. Please advise.

[goldsun]

Though the Uludurpet route is shorter by about 20+ kms, the roads are in bad shape due to the recent rains, as I have read in some of the news papers. It is worth taking the krishnagiri route.

While I have taken the Krishnagiri route to Coimbatore 4 times before, I have not travelled in the Ulundurpet route before.

[hvkumar]

Do you fancy taking the mountain route to Tiruvalla? Madras-Trichy-Dindigul (on NH45)-Periakulam-Theni-Bodi-Munnar-Kothamangalam-Muvattupuzha-Palai-Tiruvalla (or alternatively from Theni-Kumili-Peermade-Kanjirapalli-Ponkunnam-Tiruvalla. Definitely longer, but a cooler route. And teh roads all along are good. Maybe you can do this route either way (onward or return) - I am sure you can do this in one day.

[kpzen]

Krishnagiri -Coimabatore road is the common route to Kerala but the condition of road after Palaghat is pretty bad with lot of crators.....Only this part is bad in this route rest will be a pleasure to drive....
Whereas the Salem route is very good but there will be some stretches where u'll hardly find anyone.....Its all cruising here not much scenery n traffic...Also u'll cover the distance faster here....

My comments based on my drive during Aug 06...

[mail4ajo]

Originally Posted by kpzen

My comments based on my drive during Aug 06...

Kpzen, do you have a thread on your drive? Please provide it.

[mail4ajo]

Originally Posted by goldsun

It is worth taking the krishnagiri route. Though the Uludurpet route is shorter by about 20+ kms, the roads are in bad shape due to the recent rains

Is the difference only 20kms? I took this route from Chennai to Bangalore. Awesome roads. I clocked the top speed on my car with three people on board - 120km/hr. There was no pedal after that.

We can actually cut from Thopur and reach Bhavani without touching Salem and Erode. Another deterent is the huge toll charges. Costed me about 200Rs till Bangalore.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Has anyone taken the Chennai - Ullundurpettai - Salem road recently say in the last 2 -3 weeks? I am driving from Chennai to Tiruvalla on Saturday. The Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Thoopur - Bhavani road is better but longer. Please advise.

Ajo, one of my friend drove down from madurai last weekend, he said road from tindivanam to ullundurpet was pretty bad.

This time monsoon was severe in south and since the govt is busy in doling out free CTVs, i doubt they would have deployed funds(if there is any) to repair the roads... would rather suggest you to take the krishnagiri route.

regards
tifosi.

[mail4ajo]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

i doubt they would have deployed funds(if there is any) to repair the roads... would rather suggest you to take the krishnagiri route.
regards
tifosi.

Finalised, I am taking the Krishnagiri route. Since I have to pay the toll charges, I will lose the money I saved to buy the booze after hard driving.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Finalised, I am taking the Krishnagiri route. Since I have to pay the toll charges, I will lose the money I saved to buy the booze after hard driving.

yeah, thats true, if i am right, you need to pay toll at three places, amounts to around rs.100.... but toll fees is now collected in tindivanam route too.

[goldsun]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Is the difference only 20kms?

The distance for Chennai (Porur) Coimbatore via krishnagiri route was 518 KMs on the (ALTO & SWIFT) trip meter. Where as the distance for the other route as per the Road Atlas is 492 KM. Probably the difference could be little more, as my trip meter recorded from Porur and not from the zero point of Chennai.

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

I took this route from Chennai to Bangalore. Awesome roads. I clocked the top speed on my car with three people on board - 120km/hr.

Yes it is really a very nice track. I too did 120+ in my ALTO and 135+ in my SWIFT. I could reach Krishnagiri in less than 4 hours in my swift during my last trip.

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

We can actually cut from Thopur and reach Bhavani without touching Salem and Erode. Another deterent is the huge toll charges. Costed me about 200Rs till Bangalore.

When I travelled last (April, 2006), the Toll gates were not operational. Bhavani route should save few kilometers and the result the distance could be the same or marginally more than that of Ulundurpet route.

[esteem_lover]

Never ever take the ulundurpet route. the road is awful for 40 odd kms. krishnagiri route as you all know is awesome & it is hardly 25-30 kms more, but you will save at least 1 hour. i saved 2 hours when i drove back from ooty in june.

[sudheermenon]

Ajo,
I am planning a trip to chennai from Cochin next month. I am eager to know how was your trip, which route was taken by you and how long it took for you to reach cochin.

Thanks
Sudheer

[mail4ajo]

Any updates on this route? Driving to native Saturday early morning.

[PRADEEP KUMAR]

Hi,
If your destination is Salem or something closer i would suggest Vellore-Vaniyambadi- Tirpuattur-harur route.

[Ford_madhan]

Hi Ajo,

I went to salem via ulundurpet two weeks back in my ikon. Till dindivanam the road is too good but you have to pay toll twice. From dindivanam to ulundurpet is kind of ok. After ulundurpet, i warn you there are pot holes even bigger than your ALTO. :-)

Best go through krishnagiri. you wont face oncoming traffic and you will save fuel too.