[robimahanta]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

No idea about the route from Dindigul to Kottayam.
Kottayam to Trivandrum - Route is Kottayam -> Changanassery ( By pass) Thiruvalla -> Chengannur -> Adoor (Bypass) -> Kottarakkara ->Trivandrum

Kottayam to Chengannur will be bumpy with slow traffic.
Chengannur to Trivandrum - excellent.

Thanks Pramod
Kottarakkara > Trivandrum is via Kollam right?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by robimahanta

Planning to take the
Salem>Karur>Dindigul>Theni>Kumbum>Kanjirapalli>Kot tayam (Halt for a day)> Thiruvalla>Kottarakara>Trivandrum(Halt for couple of days)>Nagercoil>NH7 back to Salem

Now, I want to know the condition of the roads from Dinigul to Kottayam and Kottayam to Trivandrum. Any idea about travel times in these sectors?

That is the best possible route. But don't know how is monsoon panning out in Kerala.
Hence cannot comment on water logging about Kanjirapally-Kottayam areas.

[ArunV]

Originally Posted by robimahanta

Thanks Pramod
Kottarakkara > Trivandrum is via Kollam right?

Kottarakara -> Tvpm will not be via Kollam. Looks like pramod mentioned MC road, so won't go via Kollam.

[Sony]

Route Update - Bangalore-Kanakapura-Kollegal-Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet-Kalpetta-Calicut and return via Mysore.

I have just completed a Bangalore-Calicut round trip in my Ford Ikon Flair, onward via Kanakapura-Kollegal-Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet and retrun via Gundlupet/Mysore. Below are the timigs and route update.

2:30 PM -Start- Bangalore, Marathahalli
2:50 PM -Reached BTM 1st Stage. Weekday heavy traffic, got stuck for 10 minutes. Decided to take the NICE Road from Hosur Road itself. So took U-turn and come back Hosur Road to take the Electronic City Flyover and to NICE Road. No traffic at all.

3:30 PM - NICE Road Exit to Kanakapura Road
4:15 PM - Kanakapura
5:50 PM - Kollegal
5:50-6:00 PM -10 minutes tea break at some small hotel in Kollegal
6:45 PM - Chamaraja Nagar (Heavy traffic in City)
7:45 PM - Gundlupet (bad strech between Chamaraja nagar to Gundlupet)
8:10 PM - Bandipur Forest section - (Many unmarked humps inside the bandipur forest strech which is very difficult to spot in night time. Road condition is good now inside forest)
9:00 PM - Sulthan Bathery 9-9:45 PM - Dinner Break at Hotel Jubilee, Sulthan Bathery
10:40 PM - Kalpetta (Bad Roads between Sulthan bathery and Kalpetta, so only average speed.)
10:50 PM- Thamarassery Ghat session starts- Heavy vehicle traffic in night. Slow moving.
11:45 PM -Thamarassery Town
12:30 AM - Eranhipalam Bypass
12:35 AM - Calicut Town


Route Condition -
NICE Road-Kanakapura- Very good two line roads. Very less traffic. Scenic route.
Kanakapura- Kollegal - Very good roads. Very good drive.
Kollegal - Chamaraja Nagar -Good Roads. Heavy vehicle traffic inside Chamarajanagar city.
Chamaraja Nagar-Gundlupet - Average/Bad Roads. Pothols at many places. Road is very narrow at some places. Will reduce average speeds and some big potholes come sudden and unexpected. Difficult to drive in night time. Near to Gundlupet, some 1-2 kms strech is totally in very bad condition.

If anyone wants a change from the Heavy traffic Bangalore-Mysore-Gundlupet strech, they can try this route. But if it is night time, it is better to take the Mysore-Gundlupet road


Return - Calicut-Kalpetta-Gundlupet-Mysore-Nice Road- Marathahalli

10:30 AM - Start - Calicut Town
12:20 AM - Kalpetta (Very good roads upto Kalpetta)
1:00 PM - Sulthan Bathery Town (Bad roads between Kalpetta and Sulthan bathery)
1:00 PM-1:45 PM - Lunch Break at Hotel Jubilee, Sulthan Bathery
3:00 PM - Gundlupet (Heavy traffic in this strech to Mysore)
4:15 PM - Mysore Town
5:30 PM - Maddur (20 minutes stop for snacks at Maddur)
7:30 PM - Nice Road Entry
8:10 PM - Nice Road Electronic City Exit
8:45 PM - Marathahalli

Mysore-Bangalore strech on Sunday evening is very heavy traffic as usual. Seen two accidents. One Bus accident was causing a major jam, almost stuck for 20 minutes here. Plus the slow traffic in Towns delayed the travel time by atleast an hour. Total it took 3.30 Hrs time to complete the strech between Mysore-Nice Road Entry.

[robimahanta]

Originally Posted by ArunV

Robi,

When is your trip planned. I plan to take the same route this Saturday, but need to go to Thiruvalla.

Arun

Would be nice to catch up with you! I am heading out on 6th morning (Friday).

[coolclouds]

Vadakkancherry-Mannuthy stretch is getting bad. Did this route yesterday and looks like the condition will become very bad soon as rain continues.

Traffic at Attibelle toll was very high today morning and it took more than 20 mins to cross the gate at 6am

[ArunV]

Originally Posted by robimahanta

Would be nice to catch up with you! I am heading out on 6th morning (Friday).

Robi, i will start a day late and expect to reach Thiruvalla by late afternoon on Saturday.
Will try to meet if our timings match. Have sent my contact number as PM.

Arun

[B103]

Saw this news in yesterday's 'Mathrubhumi' newspaper (6/July/2012). The reported looting happens in empty stretches of Mysore-Kozhikode road.
Seems like thugs are stopping cars especially with KL registration and cleaning people up of all valuables.

There is no need to panic but there aren't any reasons to be careless either - may be like 2 or 3 cars moving in a convoy would not be a bad idea.

[pariwar]

A quick return trip to Trichur/Guruvayur/Thriprayar - Route updates

To: BLR - Kanakapura - Chamarajanagara - Coimbatore - Palakkad - Shoranur - Trichur - Guruvayur

• Picture perfect route
• pristine road conditions - newly laid stretches
• breakfast @ Nandini opp Bus Stand - Kollegal - decent food

Fro: Thriprayar - Chavakkad - Wadakkanchery - Shoranur - Palakkad - Coimbatore - Salem - Krishnagiri - Bangalore

• road conditions upto Palakkad are very nice
• Palakkad - Coimbatore is deteriorating significantly
• Particularly bad around the partly constructed flyover structures
• Avanashi / Tiruppur bye-pass is excellent & a huge relief, joints still an issue

[robimahanta]

Just back from a Kerala trip

Dindigul-Theni-Kumily a lot of work is going on. A few bad patches but nothing really bad.

Kumily-Kottayam is good almost all throughout.
Kottayam-Thiruvalla-Adur has bad patches and was congested with traffic
Adur-Trivandrum was a breeze

Again, Kovalam-Nagercoil had some bad patches but the NH7 was amazing as ever after that till Salem

[Twiny]

I am taking NH07/NH-47 route to Cochin today.. Is the Avinashi bypass opened with directions? Or do I need to take left turn to Thiruppur route and take a right turn after some distance ?

[mannubhai]

Originally Posted by pariwar

A quick return trip to Trichur/Guruvayur/Thriprayar - Route updates

To: BLR - Kanakapura - Chamarajanagara - Coimbatore - Palakkad - Shoranur - Trichur - Guruvayur

• Picture perfect route
• pristine road conditions - newly laid stretches
• breakfast @ Nandini opp Bus Stand - Kollegal - decent food

I have never taken this road. How long does it take to Palakkad ? How is the road as compared to the normal NH we take ?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by mannubhai

I have never taken this road. How long does it take to Palakkad ? How is the road as compared to the normal NH we take ?

Not much of difference in timing.Road condition is good.This is a 2laned highway.Now with the Avinashi bypass almost open,hardly any difference except for roadside scenery which is great on the Chamarajanagar route.

[pariwar]

Originally Posted by mannubhai

I have never taken this road. How long does it take to Palakkad ? How is the road as compared to the normal NH we take ?

As Ranjit said, the road condition is excellent, large stretches of newly laid roads make it a very smooth drive. The road is two lane right upto Coimbatore, traffic at best is sparse (depending on the time of the day - negligible). It is however, difficult to maintain a continuous high speed run because of the road width, undulating turns and village traffic (animals, carts, people) which you will come across now and then. There are a couple of short stretches, where the small town/village roads are very narrow and will slow you down remarkably.

The previous trip to my post above, a non-stop drive which started at 9.00 a.m. reached me to the start of L & T Bye-pass by 2.30 p.m. which is good by any standards (I wasn't really speeding). This trip though, was a bit more leisurely driving with leisurely stops @ Kollegal (Breakfast), Dimbum (Tea) and outskirts of Coimbatore (Lunch). Having left at 6.00 a.m., we still managed to reach Coimbatore Railway Station at 2.00 p.m.

L & T Byepass to Palakkad is the common stretch for both this routing as well as NH, the time estimate for this should be 1 to 1.5 hours taking into consideration the very very very poor road conditions after L & T Bye Pass and including the traffic blockage at Walayar.

[gadadhar]

Planning to do Bangalore Munnar through Perundurai - Kangeyam - Dharapuram - Udumalaipet - Marayoor - Munnar early next month. I have not taken this route for last 1 year and would like to know the recent condition on the road exp in the forest stretch. I will be driving a sedan with not so great ground clearanance. Thanks in advance