[independence]

guys,
We are planning to drive down to madurai this Deepavali from Chennai; (We will be celebrating with crackers after a gap of almost 6 years.... more on that later)
Has any BHPian done this route of late - what are your current experiences?
Plan to use my Xylo E8 - & intend to leave Chennai very early in the morning...
All advices solicited

[mjothi]

Chennai to Trichy is all along a wonderful drive. With almost 5 - 6 tolls. Crossing Tiruchy is still a pain. Then the roads are excellent till the outskirts of Madurai, with just small stretches of construction happening. This was around 6 months back. Hopefully this construction would have been done.

btw, you just search on this forum and you will get many & regular updates in here...

[gajadonga]

Chennai to Trichy is breeze after you cross Vandalur zoo.The traffic is sparse till Chengalpet bypass.After Chengalpet it is pleasure driving this stretch.Trichy bypass is the only hitch.Trichy to Madurai is again 4 lane.7.30 hrs is a comfortable drive.Happy driving.I did this highway last Sunday.

[Surprise]

You are right MJothi- Till Trichy from Chennai there are 5 tolls costing Rs.150.00 Athur(Rs.20-)Paranur(Rs.20)-Vikravandi(50)-Ulundurpet(Rs.30)-Tholdur (Rs.30)....Roads are in good state..expect lorry traffic before Trichy town, though it depends on the time you hit there.

Be careful on Govt buses taking wrong sides (especially after you cross Chengulpattu bypass road and before you reach Pukkathurai junction) /Parked lorries/Villagers walking across the roads at their will

[anainar]

Search on this forum. CSenthil is an expert in this part of the country. Search for posts by him. I have not driven in this stretch but from Bangalore to Madurai via Salem-Karur-Dindigul etc. The four laning is in progress and I belive upto Trichy it is completed. You can easily average 80-85 km/h.

Be prepared to pay toll at the rate of @60 paise per kilometer on the completed roads.

Nainar

[independence]

Thanks folks!!!!

Any tips on good pit stops on the way for breakfast & lunch - (Clean toilets?? do they exist??)

How is the Trichy to Madurai road?- is the viralimalai rute better than the Dindigul one?

[mukaan]

Hi,

I drove from Chennai to Nagercoil on the 26th of September. I drove in my Optra Magnum.It was a day drive and most part of the roads are complete and is a delight to drive.Except for a very few sections. Please be aware of the morons who come in the opposite sides (The Govt Buses and tractors).

The Viralimalai route is the one to take after Trichy.
I have attached a small trip-sheet

You can have a good breakfast at the Highway foods motel which will come on your left side while driving towards Dindivanam. Most of the HP petrol pumps along the way have clean toilets and courteous staff.

If you start early like around 6.00AM you can have lunch in Madurai

Drive safe and have a blast of a Diwali

[Archish]

IF u plan to take off really early, then Breakfast at Tindivanam will be too early. If u need the morning filter coffee before breakfast u can depend upon the Ganapathy Vilas just after Acharapakkam. U can have ur breakfast either at Villupuram, Opposite to the new bus stand, Arthi or Archana. But u have to enter Villupuram, Or otherwise u can have breakfast in motels before Ulundurpet bye pass starts.

If u start at 5, u can have ur breakfast at Trichy. I have done it many a times. U will reach trichy say by 10.

As suggested by others, the road till trichy is really great. I just made a trip to Sivakasi. But u have to watch out for maniacs on the coming on the wrong side of the road. Take The Trichy bye pass and Madurai from trichy is only 120kms (2 hrs) via Viralimalai - Mellur. While Dindugal Route i guess is about 50kms more.

Without break this trip can be done in 6.30 hrs.

Chennai - Tindivanam - 1.5 hrs
Tindivanam - Villupuram - .5 hrs
Villupuram - Ulundupet - .5 hrs
Ulundupet - Trichy - 2 Hrs
Trichy - Madurai - 2 Hrs

[navan49]

I visited recently to Madurai. Chennai to Trichy till outskirts superb.Trichy to Madurai good smooth only the problem is that time and again you have to take diversion to the other half of the road which you have to use 2 way. But that too a smooth drive but not like Trichy Dindigul one.

[srikanthpotluri]

Originally Posted by navan49

I visited recently to Madurai. Chennai to Trichy till outskirts superb.Trichy to Madurai good smooth only the problem is that time and again you have to take diversion to the other half of the road which you have to use 2 way. But that too a smooth drive but not like Trichy Dindigul one.

Do you mean the Melur Road? This is the four-lane fast road right.

[ElantraGT]

Originally Posted by srikanthpotluri

Do you mean the Melur Road? This is the four-lane fast road right.

I recently did a chennai -kanyakumari-chennai trip in 3 days.

Srikanth, Yes the melur road is 4 lane higway now. I am amazed by the tarmac quality.

Navan Sir, I had to take diversion at 3 locations only. Otherwise its a straight road.

Just be aware that melur road will end in the Madurai outer ring road. Prevously it will go to the Madurai byepass near Maatuthavani bustsand. Now you need to take a detour to reach matuthavani and the bye pass road. Instead if you contuinue straight you will be driving through madurai ringroad and you will join NH 7 after thirumangalam. The toll charge on this route was Rs.40 if I am not wrong. The ring road is a two lane highway, so expect some traffic and most of pot holes are patched up. Just watch your speed here.

[navan49]

Hi Elantraji,

It is true that I too mentioned that it is smooth drive. The take off drive from Chennai to Trichy might have made me to feel the three diversions are time and again. You are right there is no clear indication of diversion to Mattuthavani. It should be near Best Dental College. But as I had to go to the village near Tirumangalam I took the ring road to Kappalur and took again the New 4 way till Melakkottai and after a couple of kms I took right side road to the village between Virudhunagar 4 lane road and Alampatti on the Rajapalayam SH Road. The toll was 40 for ring road it has raised to 40 from 35.

[aravinrd]

I am planning a trip to Nagercoil tomorrow afternoon, I would like to halt for the night at madurai, can any one suggest me some good lodges/hotels where I could stay and what could be the charge for a night.

Thanks
Aravind

[aargee]

Originally Posted by aravinrd

I am planning a trip to Nagercoil tomorrow afternoon, I would like to halt for the night at madurai, can any one suggest me some good lodges/hotels where I could stay and what could be the charge for a night.

Thanks
Aravind

Just a small suggestion - see if you really want to stay in Madurai for the night. You can reach Chennai-Tirunelveli in about 8 hours & takes about 2 hours from Tirunelveli to Nagerkovil. So if you start by 13:00 you can reach Nagerkovil before midnight.

[aravinrd]

Originally Posted by aargee

Just a small suggestion - see if you really want to stay in Madurai for the night. You can reach Chennai-Tirunelveli in about 8 hours & takes about 2 hours from Tirunelveli to Nagerkovil. So if you start by 13:00 you can reach Nagerkovil before midnight.

Yes, I too thought about it, only thing is that I don't know if I will be able to drive for that long in the night with the blinding headlights from the opposite direction. I have done numerous trips to nagercoil but only during the day, this would me my lengthiest night drive. Do you have any idea if all the 4 lanes are operable all the way to negarcoil ? the last time when I visited in Oct 2009, at few places both the ongoing and opposite traffic were running on the same side of the road for few KMS and moreover the diversions weren’t marked well, this is another factor that put me off about the night drive.