[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by sv1976

Planning BLR-EKM-BLR this weekend and i wanted to try this to avoid the usual Thrissur-Palakkad-Avinashi route. Can anyone explain this route a bit more in detail?

If you want to try new routes why dont you try BLR-Salem-Avinashi-CBE-Palakkad-Parli-Ottapalam-Kulappully-Shornur-Cheruthuruthy-Vazhacode Jn-Ottupara-Wadakancheri-Patturaikal Bypass-Thrissur-Kuttanellur-Join NH47 just before the toll gate-Angamaly-EKM.You can also drive through the new railway overbridge at Wadakancheri which eliminates the level crossing on this route.

Walayar, Kerala to Ambika Tile Factory - Google Maps

The other route you can try is BLR-Mysore-Gundulpet-Gudalur-Vazhikadavu-Nilambur-Wandoor-Pandikkad-Perinthalmana-Pattambi-Kulappully and then on the same as previous route.This would be time consuming though

[jp1]

Planning to do Bangalore->Salem->Dindigul->Theni->Kumily->Kottayam shortly. Anyone traveled this route recently and how is the road condition?

[joecherian]

I did the same route in the week of easter.Till Dindigul, roads are excellent. Dindigul to Theni, road , lot of diversions for culvert constructions as well as road widening. But things are manageable.

If you want to avoid this, you can try Dindigul-Madurai-Theni route. This will add another 60 kms to your journey but then you can avoid the construction work. Roads are very good in the Madurai Theni section.

After Kumily, roads are patched up but badly patched up and hence bumpy for 8-10 kms.Rest, all in very good condition.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by sv1976

Planning BLR-EKM-BLR this weekend and i wanted to try this to avoid the usual Thrissur-Palakkad-Avinashi route. Can anyone explain this route a bit more in detail?

I would suggest to stick to NH47, been to Cochin last weekend. Except for few potholes before you enter Valayar checkpost (on TN side) road is free of potholes. It is uneven in many places due to the patch work, but will be less time consuming than alternate roads

[deetjohn]

We did a BLR-Cochin-BLR last week. Took the usual BLR - Salem - CBE - Palakad - Thrissur - EKM while going. The Avinashi stretch is still work under progress and the roads after L&T byepass till Walayar is quite bad.

An iron rod jutting out from the concrete pavement on a small bridge hit our car' underbelly and tore the plastic air deflector under the bonnet. I couldn't see it as we did this stretch during the night. It points towards the KL side and can rip open a tyre. Guys, watch out for this. Sorry, I forgot to note the exact location.

There were a lot of toll evaders at Thrissur trying to get into the pocket road after taking U turn just before the toll. They were occupying all 3 lanes to get into the narrow pocket road and blocking traffic. A lot of expensive cars as well. I wonder whether its worth the time and effort. Like last time, the toll guys took INR50 from me. And considering the tolls that we pay on the way, dare I say the Thrissur toll is VFM. I love it and is refreshing during a long & tiring drive.

Came back via Ernakulam - Thrissur - Calicut - Sulthan Bathery - Mysore - Bangalore. The roads are great from Ernakulam till Chundel (Wayanad District). Well laid but with a lot of curves and elevation changes like most KL roads.

Keep an eye out for the arrogant bus drivers who will push you off the road for no reason. And the Diesel Auto drivers who aspire to become bus drivers I guess.

The newly laid Thamarassery Churam is superb and built like a track. Very well laid with good banking and markings. Too much traffic on it though.

The road from Chundel till the KA border is just about average. Gundlupet as usual has a lot of speed-breakers and spotted at least 3 Traffic Police vans with speed radar catching cars towards the forest.

The Mysore byepass is in very bad shape in patches and a lot more work to be done. I wonder why there is no work being done. IIRC, it was the same almost 1 year back. The Mysore - BLR road was very crowded as usual.

We started from EKM at 9AM and reached Bannerghatta Road by 9:45PM. 45mins break in between. For saving time, the other routes are better. But the Wayanad route is quite an experience.

I repeat, the roads from EKM to Chundel is amazing to drive.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Came back via Ernakulam - Thrissur - Calicut - Sulthan Bathery - Mysore - Bangalore. The roads are great from Ernakulam till Chundel (Wayanad District). Well laid but with a lot of curves and elevation changes like most KL roads.

Can u detail the route you took from Thrissur to Calicut?

[kala]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

The road from Chundel till the KA border is just about average. Gundlupet as usual has a lot of speed-breakers and spotted at least 3 Traffic Police vans with speed radar catching cars towards the forest.

Where were these interceptors stationed ? In Kerala ? (Just curious to know if Karnataka has also started deploying them on highways)

Also what's the speed limit on National Highways in Kerala ? Is it 70 or 80 kmph ?

[Twiny]

When I have done BLR-Mysore 5 weeks back, I too saw 3 interceptors. But only the first one was on our side, where we ended-up paying fine for exceeding 60km!! Not sure if it was before Kengeri or after

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by kala

Where were these interceptors stationed ? In Kerala ? (Just curious to know if Karnataka has also started deploying them on highways)

Also what's the speed limit on National Highways in Kerala ? Is it 70 or 80 kmph ?

Karnataka. Karnataka Police/MVD has got TATA Wingers with speed radars and cameras. I saw them checking at Gundlupet, Nanjangud and outskirts of Mysore (all checking vehicles towards the forest).

The Speed limit in Kerala is 70kmph on the highways.

[Sunney]

Originally Posted by binaiks

The Speed limit in Kerala is 70kmph on the highways.

70 in good highway is very limiting, 100-120 must be.

I wonder in Bangalore- Mumbai GQ too if speed-limit is administered to 70.

[rameshnanda]

I was once caught by Kochi Police on the Kochi Bypass for doing 90Kmph. I paid Rs. 300 as the penalty. The sad thing here is that beyond this bypass, I was not even able to go beyond 80kmph till Trivandrum. Thanks to the heavy traffic on Kerala Highways.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Can u detail the route you took from Thrissur to Calicut?

I took Thrissur - Kunnamkulam - Edappal - Valanchery - Kuttippuram - Kottakkal - Calicut bye-pass.

Originally Posted by kala

Where were these interceptors stationed ? In Kerala ? (Just curious to know if Karnataka has also started deploying them on highways)

Also what's the speed limit on National Highways in Kerala ? Is it 70 or 80 kmph ?

binaiks is right. I saw one inside KL nearing Calicut and 2 near Gundlupet. The speed limit is 70 in KL. They are standing at a very strategic location in KL. There is a huge downward slope near Calicut where a car doing 70 will automatically cross the limit if the driver doesn't back off. The cops are standing at the end of it under a tree.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Sunney

I wonder in Bangalore- Mumbai GQ too if speed-limit is administered to 70.

I remember reading somewhere that the National speed limit is 80kmph (except otherwise mentioned). Speed limits for particular sections are mentioned on the highway stretches itself. I remember seeing a board stating the speed limit to be 100kmph somewhere between Salem and Perundurai on the NH47 (NH544).

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

I was once caught by Kochi Police on the Kochi Bypass for doing 90Kmph. I paid Rs. 300 as the penalty. The sad thing here is that beyond this bypass, I was not even able to go beyond 80kmph till Trivandrum. Thanks to the heavy traffic on Kerala Highways.

Interestingly, Kerala's traffic cops would speed check only in sections where there is a possibility of over speeding! So, never overspeed if you see a good patch of road is the thumbrule for Kerala. Kochi bypass is a hotspot for checking - overspeeding and overtaking through the left are commonly checked in this stretch.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

I took Thrissur - Kunnamkulam - Edappal - Valanchery - Kuttippuram - Kottakkal - Calicut bye-pass.



binaiks is right. I saw one inside KL nearing Calicut and 2 near Gundlupet. The speed limit is 70 in KL. They are standing at a very strategic location in KL. There is a huge downward slope near Calicut where a car doing 70 will automatically cross the limit if the driver doesn't back off. The cops are standing at the end of it under a tree.

Thanks deetjohn for the details

Though speed limit in Kerala is 70, the speed gun is set for 80kmph. So you can go till 80 without worries. (Information both from horse's mouth and newspaper reports)

[kala]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Thanks deetjohn for the details

Though speed limit in Kerala is 70, the speed gun is set for 80kmph. So you can go till 80 without worries. (Information both from horse's mouth and newspaper reports)

May be recent changes. I did get booked for doing 75 on the Calicut bypass road last July, and I was told the speed limit was 70.

Setting the limit to 80 makes more sense, because I think the accuracy of these speed guns would probably be only +/- 10%