Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by venkyhere (Post 3676729)

inspite of losing 2 hours of early morning time, you still managed a driving duration of 7 hrs through the day (local 2 traffic on highways), from cochin to bangalore ? I assume you also had some breakfast break. Were you driving or flying low ?

Yes, there was a breakfast break as well. The roads were empty after coimbatore and was able to manage an healthy average. And yes, I was driving :D.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71Convertible (Post 3676835)

I'm driving to Wayanad (just south of Manathavady) tomorrow. Here's what Google maps recommends...

I'm hoping frequent or recent users can guide me on choices between the shown routes.

Yes, the default route recommended is the right one. Mysore-Handpost-Bavalli-Katikulam-Manathavady. Roads are great and traffic free, the stretch within the forest is a little rough and narrow. But nothing to be concerned about. Some good views and chances of wildlife spotting are higher than the Gundlepet-Bathery route. It will take approx 2-2.5 hours from Mysore to Manathavady.

Point to note: There is pretty much no family friendly place to stop once you leave Mysore till you reach Kattikulam (which is ~10km before Manathavady). So keep that in mind.

Edit: Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta-Manathavady is much longer. Only advantage is that it is open at night. So no reason to take that route unless it is a night drive

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjithin (Post 3674096)

update from my weekend trip

onward
Whitefield 2:50 PM & Reached Chalakudy at 11:50 PM (with 30 mts Dinner break at Hotel Annalakshmi, Perundurai)
Via NH7, NH47, Pollachi, Nemmara

Return
Chalakudy : 4:20 AM and reached Whitefield at 12:10 AM (with 30 mts breakfast break at Hotel Annalakshmi, Perundurai)
Via NH47 & NH7

The Omalaur - Tharamangalam - Sankari bypass (https://goo.gl/maps/TzL2o) is now my default route every time; saves 10km and 2 tolls without loosing any time. I covered this bypass in 45 mts exactly in both directions and was faster than cars who took the Salem/full NH route.
Trick is to take the single lane road at the Sankari side and not to get on to Sankari town.

Hotel Annalakshmi, Perundurai to CHalakudy took 4 hrs while going via Avinashi, Pollachi; but took only 3.25 hrs while coming back via Palakad. Lost a good amount of time crossing Pollachi due to the road/rail work. I was surprised on the condition of the Alathur- Walayar route; only 2 flyover and couple of kilometers work pending. So going forward I will skip Pollachi route mostly

Finally I tried the Bagalur - Chikka Tirupati - Hopefarm route and found that its equally painful with 2 wheelers and tippers. So Given the limited choices, Whitefield -Sarjapur - Bagalur - Hosur remain my preferred route to get into NH7.

Part of the savings in return trip was due to change in car. I drove a fiesta 1.6 and was much more faster in 4 lane roads between Perundurai and Hosur compared to my Ritz vxi

On the one time I took this route, from Bangalore down, the Sankari end was confusing, and ended up driving the parallel SH 86 through Sankari and a few villages, wasting valuable time. How do I get into the NH directly, coming from Bangalore, and on the return trip, exit the NH at the correct place ?

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAPVEN (Post 3676973)

I normally take the Omallur route by entering Sankari, while on the way to Bangalore. After the Sree Saravana Bhavan Classic on the left, I stick to the right lane, and take a right turn under the flyover (flyover is only for the lane towards CBE), then turn left on to SH86. It takes about an hour, give or take 10 min, to cover the stretch between Saravana Bhavan and the entry onto NH7 at Omallur.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 3676811)

Ah. He is overspeeding, I'm just maintaining a healthy average.

It is due to the advantage of the early morning start. See another experience below.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjithin (Post 3674096)

Chalakudy : 4:20 AM and reached Whitefield at 12:10 AM (with 30 mts breakfast break at Hotel Annalakshmi, Perundurai)
Via NH47 & NH7

we left ITPL at 6pm yesterday.. We found crazy traffic at hope farm signal and chikka tirupathi (due to a temple procession). We then went to dharmapuri via palacode. Sharp 1 am we crossed walayar and there was absolutely no lorry traffic or hassle.. Infact, I crossed this stretch in 4th gear. We were anticipating some trouble due to the lorry strike but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Road is excellent from walayar till almost palakad.. I would say that 50% of the road from walayar to thrissur is four lane now and less than 10kms is patchy or broken but nothing ugly.. We reached varapuzha side at around 3 am. normally it takes me 3 hours between walayar and varapuzha i.e about 2 hours. This was a really pleasant experience.. Highly recommend this route to anyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ak916 (Post 3677550)

Road is excellent from walayar till almost palakad.. I would say that 50% of the road from walayar to thrissur is four lane now and less than 10kms is patchy or broken but nothing ugly.. We reached varapuzha side at around 3 am. normally it takes me 3 hours between walayar and varapuzha i.e about 2 hours. This was a really pleasant experience.. Highly recommend this route to anyone.

Good to know about the road from Walayar to Plkd. This was were I used to spend a lot of time when coming from BLORE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ak916 (Post 3677550)

we left ITPL at 6pm yesterday.. We found crazy traffic at hope farm signal and chikka tirupathi (due to a temple procession). We then went to dharmapuri via palacode.

Can you share the route from Bangalore to Dharmapuri? Why did you go via Palacode, is it a better route than Hosur>Dharmapuri? I stay in Marathahalli and looking for a better route to reach Dharmapuri.

Happy to know Walayar>Palakkad is in good shape now. Hope it will not deteriorate with rains.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatienceWins (Post 3677572)

Firstly, sorry for the formatting errors in my first post. I meant to say walayar to varapuzha usually takes me three hours but this time we did it in two hours or so.
Here are the timings

1.00 am- walayar entry
1.14 am - palakad turn off
2.00 am - hit thrissur 4 lane

Traffic was moderate.

From marathalli I suggest you go via sarjapur and connect to hosur under the flyover. Last evening traffic was backed up on top of the flyover so i took right turn there and then the first major left turn, after about 1 km. We took hosur ring road to rayakotai, palacode and entered the NH at dharmapuri.. We did this to avoid the holiday traffic at krishnagiri toll. I hate waiting idle. This route is shorter and quicker if you anticipate a 15 minute wait at krishnagiri toll.

If there is no traffic on hosur flyover, you would normally take left here and then after a km, take the first major right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveen.raju (Post 3676711)

A truck toppled at Patikad and the vehicles where lined up from Thrissur all the way to Kuthiran. The accident spot was closed and all vehicles had to take a detour. And saw a lot of this.
.....
All major malayalam news channels were there to cover the lorry strike. Didnt see much action and the check post was functioning as usual with no rush.

From Bangalore side crossed Walayar yesterday at around 1145hours. No traffic blocks or any kind of obstruction created by the truck drivers. Today's local Mathrubhumi edition says that the strike would continue, as the government has not taken any reconciliatory moves. Kerala may face vegetable shortage by Sunday (5th) if this continues. But if the strike gets cancelled on 4th - tomorrow, then I expect a major bottle neck at Walayar. Then Pollachi->Palladam route may be the only way forward.

On the accident part. An LPG tanker truck had toppled side ways. Since it was an LPG tanker, help from the refineries at Cochin had to be brought in. Local media also reported K.P Constables saving the life of a heart-patient who had got stuck up here on this fateful morning.