Team-BHP - Bangalore to Coimbatore : Route Queries

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejoy (Post 5963695)

Going towards Palakkad, taking Annur-Avinashi and then getting on to the unpredictable L&T bypass is what I want to avoid. But again, it depends on the timing. If I reach Coimbatore city by 7:30-8pm, on a busy weekend, cutting across the city and joining Madukkarai on Palakkad road make sense?

L&T bypass can be a pain and unpredictable but from my experience I would say bite the bullet and stick to that route, going inside the city could be a bigger gamble unless you’re following google maps which is recommending the city route based on the time and traffic conditions at that time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejoy (Post 5963695)

. If I reach Coimbatore city by 7:30-8pm, on a busy weekend, cutting across the city and joining Madukkarai on Palakkad road make sense?

I was referring to Avinasi road flyover inside the city. Plus the Sai Baba colony flyover too in case Google directs to Mettupalayam Road and GN mills junction to Anaikkatti road.

7:30-8pm, cutting through city is not a problem. From Saravanampatti to Madukkarai NH takes about 45 minutes. Only choke point is some 500m in Ganapathy and may be few minutes extra near Town Hall. Make sure you take left ramp at Ukkadam bus stand to join flyover - if you miss that, then you have to suffer the old Ukkadam toll traffic.

There was a news item 4 weeks ago about works on railway underpass at Madukkarai - last week when I went to Palakkad, I took the detour there following the boards kept. However I could see many cars were just going through too - may be work is over.

I usually avoid LnT bypass other than early mornings - all the crossings are backlogged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vsbabu (Post 5963812)

Thanks. I took the Dhimbham route last year April and went through Coimbatore city, but it was at 2pm. Followed Google and I took the Karamadai route to city and then to Madukkarai. From Bannari, it took 2.5 hours till the NH with a 30min lunch break at Cafe Udupi Ruchi (after Karamadai). (just checked the GPS logs). Do you think the Annur-Saravanampatti route would be faster?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejoy (Post 5964017)

Do you think the Annur-Saravanampatti route would be faster?

Nope, Karamadai will be faster and shorter. Just check for any red sections on Google map in Karamadai junction before you cross the right turn to Puliampatti on the road from Bannari - when there is any festival in the temple there, it really gets blocked for an hour minimum. Now the choke point is only the Sai Baba Colony flyover construction which usually have police directing traffic proactively. Karamadai - left at Y junction after Avinashalingam college - go past the next circle - stay on main road to go right at the circular flyover and then take left at ""Pollachi/Palakkad" board, navigate narrow roads to join Ukkadam, take left ramp (it is very small and easy to miss) to the flyover, keep to the right, the dug up road after that is all fixed up now, check Madukkarai railway underpass and that's it.

Before Ukkadam you will have traffic, but I've always seen it moving. However, on the way back, it gets stuck often from 3pm till 9pm from Ukkadam to Mettupalayam road.

I had taken Bannari to Karamadai road at night and it is way too deserted and dark - if you reach Bannari after 8pm, it is perhaps safer to ignore google and go into Sathy, then Puliampatti, Annur, Saravanampatti and city following main Sathy road.

PS: Mettupalayam road has one Annapoorna 1.5km after Thudiyalur on right side, an Aryabhavan on left side about 1km from the first flyover and then old Annapoorna (very limited parking) on left side some 5km further down. On Sathy road, there is an Annapoorna on left side just before Ganapathy. There is a newish Annapoorna on Palakkad road few km after Ukkadam flyover (use Google maps since their board is very hidden till you go past the entrance). Sharing my usual food spots while beginning to travel, if it helps :)