[NPV]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I don't think either Udumaliapet or Pollachi are problematic to cross, despite there being no bypasses. NH209 goes straight through Udumalaipet and on entering Pollachi, you will see clear signages indicating the Palakkad road to the left of the Coimbatore road.

Update from my trip over the past weekend:
When coming from Valparai via Aliyar to Pollachi there is a flyover construction in progress at Pollachi town and the road is a mess there. I had to get on to the Palladam road as I was on my way to Bangalore from Valparai. To avoid this mess, here's what I did:
Just before the construction zone there is a BP pump on the right hand side and turned right beside the BP pump and immediately saw a junction where I was told going straight leads to Udumalaipet (no signages anywhere in this area !). Here I made a left turn so this was parallel to the Aliyar-Pollachi road now. It's a narrow road here and at the end of the road it curves right and joins another main road where I took a left turn (landmark here is Hotel Vasantham on the left). About 100 metres or so ahead I made a right turn to get onto the Palladam road.
Hope this helps.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

About 100 metres or so ahead I made a right turn to get onto the Palladam road.
Hope this helps.

Are you referring to the parallel road to the where you cross the railway line?

Were you referring to this ? link

Because if yes, this has been there for quite some time now I think.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ampere

Are you referring to the parallel road to the where you cross the railway line?
Because if yes, this has been there for quite some time now I think.

I believe gmaps may not be entirely correct here, especially the water tank and roads to the right side of the Valparai-Pollachi Road near the main Town junction.
Though the general direction of the detour seems to be correct - first a right turn and then a left turn, the place where it meets the Pollachi Udumalaipet Road is little more to the right so to get on to the Palladam Road you have to turn left onto Pollachi-Udumalaipet Road (where you can see Hotel Vasantham on the left) and then turn right to Palladam Road. Also noticed that there was a road going straight (marked To Udumalaipet in picture) which I was told goes to Udumalaipet so I guess it joins the Pollachi Udumalaipet Road somewhere a little ahead after going parallel for some time.
See the picture below where I've tried to depict this.
I don't remember crossing a railway line since I was concentrating on following a gentleman on a TVS moped who was kind enough to guide me when I asked for directions to Palladam Road.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ampere

I don't know why I also never hear anything good about that section.
Bangalore folks also never take that route and go via Namakkal/Thuraiyur or Musiri but never Karur.
Don't know when they will finish that 4-lane!

Ampere, despite the warnings, i took this NH 67 to Trichy(Srirangam) and i did not have to regret it at all!

The road is bad, but it is only a 15-20 km stretch between Trichy and that Vivekananda school/ashram. Bad in the sense, broken tarmac and lot of patches, Ikon can do a decent 40 kmph.

Karur is now bye-passed, but it adds nearly 10 km to the trip. One have to take the NH7 at the fly-over towards Madurai for this.

I returned back through the same route as it is not worth negotiating Trichy city navigation as well as NH209 traffic.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Ampere, despite the warnings, i took this NH 67 to Trichy(Srirangam) and i did not have to regret it at all!

Thanks for that Ramzsys. So does that mean the rest of the section is four-laned?
Also its great to know that the Karur bypass is in place!

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ampere

Thanks for that Ramzsys. So does that mean the rest of the section is four-laned?
Also its great to know that the Karur bypass is in place!

From Trichy side, after that Ramakrishna ashram, the road is a wide 2 lane(4 trucks can pass at the same time), with a few lane crossings. The pace of work going there is evidence enough that there is no 4 lane for another 5 years.

4 lane exists only from a few km before karur and it joins NH7(from where the left is taken to Dharapuram/Cbe)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

From Trichy side, after that Ramakrishna ashram, the road is a wide 2 lane(4 trucks can pass at the same time), with a few lane crossings. The pace of work going there is evidence enough that there is no 4 lane for another 5 years.
4 lane exists only from a few km before karur and it joins NH7(from where the left is taken to Dharapuram/Cbe)

Wow! So absolutely nothing ! Then why was this mentioned that the road was under repair/lane conversion etc?
Did it mean a wider 2-lane?

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ampere

Wow! So absolutely nothing ! Then why was this mentioned that the road was under repair/lane conversion etc?
Did it mean a wider 2-lane?

Under repair because even for that wide 2 lane, at 2/3 spots work is not complete, so one has to travel in single lane for a few hundred meters.

[rameshnanda]

Thanks for the update Ramzys.

Originally Posted by ampere

Wow! So absolutely nothing ! Then why was this mentioned that the road was under repair/lane conversion etc?
Did it mean a wider 2-lane?

Amp, I think this is going to be a highway like we get to see from Karur to Coimbatore. That is also NH67 (now NH81 after the renumbering) which is a wide 2 laned but excellent road. Now, after Ramzys's update, I am expecting a similar road from Trichy to Karur as well.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Amp, I think this is going to be a highway like we get to see from Karur to Coimbatore. That is also NH67 (now NH81 after the renumbering) which is a wide 2 laned but excellent road. Now, after Ramzys's update, I am expecting a similar road from Trichy to Karur as well.

Yes. I have driven on that stretch. Its a very nice wide two lane road as you mentioned.
It also has heavy traffic.

But I thought there were plans to four lane the Karur-Trichy stretch. Hence I had that doubt.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

Yes. I have driven on that stretch. Its a very nice wide two lane road as you mentioned.
It also has heavy traffic.

But I thought there were plans to four lane the Karur-Trichy stretch. Hence I had that doubt.

I did this stretch (Trichy-Karur) in May 2011 after 2AM. That was a nightmarish experience with speeding buses and trucks with their high beams on. The roads were also very pathetic. I didn't realize that time that this is going to be a 2 lane road.

What is still a puzzle to me is that the NHAI website says that this road project is done on a BOT mode. Are they going to collect toll for a 2 lane too?

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

What is still a puzzle to me is that the NHAI website says that this road project is done on a BOT mode. Are they going to collect toll for a 2 lane too?

There is a toll booth being constructed after the road from Karur town joins the Karur byepass(towards Trichy side).

4 Lane exists for a few kms after that toll booth, and then road is a proper wide 2 lane, there are no signs of 4 laning work going on. There's this river on left side and farmlands on the other side, so either no 4 lane, or the work will take another half a decade.

EDIT: this is what i read in another forum
Trichy Forum TRICHYPORTAL.COM • View topic - Trichy - Karur road project

"The National Highways Authority of India conceived the project and planned it to be developed into a four-lane and two-lane paved shoulder road taking into account the natural boundaries that marginalise the major section of the stretch"

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

There is a toll booth being constructed after the road from Karur town joins the Karur byepass(towards Trichy side).

4 Lane exists for a few kms after that toll booth, and then road is a proper wide 2 lane, there are no signs of 4 laning work going on. There's this river on left side and farmlands on the other side, so either no 4 lane, or the work will take another half a decade.

It is mystery that a toll is coming up for this 2 laned road. The same NH which is extended till Coimbatore does not have any toll even though that is also a very good 2 lane road.

[Accent Martin]

Hi Travelling from Kerala to Trichy. from cochin. which route is the best to go to Trichy

Google shows three options.
1. Pollachi > Dharapuram > Odanchatram > Trichy
2. Pollachi > Dharapuram >Karur >Musiri > Trichy
3. Palakkad > Tiruppur > Karur >Trichy

which route had best road condition. and also a recommendation for breakfast please. Thank you

[JohnnyBoss]

Originally Posted by Accent Martin

Hi Travelling from Kerala to Trichy. from cochin. which route is the best to go to Trichy

Google shows three options.
1. Pollachi > Dharapuram > Odanchatram > Trichy
2. Pollachi > Dharapuram >Karur >Musiri > Trichy
3. Palakkad > Tiruppur > Karur >Trichy

which route had best road condition. and also a recommendation for breakfast please. Thank you

I did route 2 a couple of months back and suggest the same.