[venkyhere]

Chennai to Ernakulam via salem.
Early morning drive (leave at 3am).

Option1 : chennai - chengalpet - ulundurpet - attur - salem ---> ekm

Option2 : chennai - chennasamudram - krishnagiri - thoppur - salem ---> ekm


I have no idea about #1 and not at all aware whether I can send it or have to be wary of ridiulous potholes (or flyover joints finished by a gorilla) suddenly appearing out of nowhere , since I will be driving in the dark. My only priority is smooth surface. Can't really "trust" thinking "oh it's tolled, has to be fine" ; I have made many stupid decisions like this about unfamiliar roads, without remembering "this is india".

#2 is very familiar to me (just extra 30km compared to 1) with approx ~150km stretch being 3+3.
#1 is 2+2 but with a ~140km stetch from ulundurpet to salem oscillating between undivided single lane and 2+2.


Kindly suggest the better surface option and/or the quicker option. Will be happy if both criteria coincide with any one of the two.

[binand]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Chennai to Ernakulam via salem.
Early morning drive (leave at 3am).

Option1 : chennai - chengalpet - ulundurpet - attur - salem ---> ekm
Option2 : chennai - chennasamudram - krishnagiri - thoppur - salem ---> ekm

Kindly suggest the better surface option and/or the quicker option. Will be happy if both criteria coincide with any one of the two.

First of all, Ulundurupet-Salem is a nice surface full dual carriageway road with 3 toll booths that charged a cumulative Rs. 150. My last trip was pre-pandemic (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post4969173 (All Roads to Kerala)) so don't know if the surface has deteriorated or not, though.

The choice should be based on where you are starting from in Chennai. My view is that GST road carries Chennai's rambunctious traffic for far longer than NH4, but once you are beyond Chengalpet it calms quite a lot. When going via Vellore the Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Salem section is extremely painful, which you completely avoid if you were to take the GST road route.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Chennai to Ernakulam via salem.
Early morning drive (leave at 3am).

Go via Ulundurpet regardless of the start point. I see you are already aware that the road switches from undivided 2-lane to 4-lane. Apart from that, there is nothing really to worry on this route. Given you are starting at 3am, you wouldn't see traffic till Salem bypass.

[venkyhere]

Did the journey.
Took option #1 via ulundurpet.

It was a Jekyll&Hyde drive.
Chennai to thrissur mannuthy 600km in 7hrs & rest 73km to ekm in 3h15m.

[ike]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Did the journey.
Took option #1 via ulundurpet.

I used to be a regular on this route before the pandemic, used to drive to Thrissur from Chennai quite frequently. The advantage with the route via Ulundurpet is that after Chengalpet till Salem the roads are good and the traffic is manageable. Toll is less too (I might be outdated here since I last drove this route in Dec'20).

Our friendly mod gannu is a veteran on the route via Krishnagiri and vouches for it. He prefers the unruly traffic all the way till palakkad from Chennai rather than avoiding nasty traffic till Salem. The only advantage I see in this route is the number of eateries. You have plenty of good options here. On route#1, especially once you turn towards Salem from Uludurpet there is just 1 A2B till Salem, and no other (reputed) restaurants.

[balenoed_]

Any one has a latest update on RTPCR requirement for train travelers from Kerala to Bangalore stations? Any checking while boarding or de-boarding?

[binand]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Any one has a latest update on RTPCR requirement for train travelers from Kerala to Bangalore stations? Any checking while boarding or de-boarding?

Last I heard - minor stations (Banaswadi etc.), hardly any checks. Major stations (Majestic) - they do check.

[pms]

Returned from Kollam to BLR yesterday via Kottarakara - Punalur - Aryankaavu - Rajapalayam - Tirumangalam - Salem - BLR. Took a break at Sri Villiputtur near Rajapalayam for temple visit.

We had carried TN E-Pass and Vaccination certificates. At Puliyarai checkpost they verified both and let us go, hardly a 10 min affair. There was a small pile up of vehicles and the officials at the checkpost were insisting for E-Pass and RTPCR or Vaccination certificates. Other than that no other checks anywhere.

Rains played havoc from Thoppur ghats to right till Bangalore. Started at 6AM from Kollam and reached home in BLR at 9PM.

[roshithr]

Originally Posted by pms

AThere were no checks in Attibele or anywhere else in TN though we had carried TN Transit Pass.

Has TN removed the transit pass? I am struggling to find the url to register transit via TN. All I find is entry or exit, for that we need to provide an address in TN

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by pms

Other than that no other checks anywhere.

No checks at Attibele? Does KA insist on RT PCR even now? Thanks

[pms]

Originally Posted by roshithr

Has TN removed the transit pass? I am struggling to find the url to register transit via TN. All I find is entry or exit, for that we need to provide an address in TN

TN has removed the transit pass. Instead you could just take an exit pass and give your native address at the 'From' section (the site will finally append a line for instance "Shencottai, Tenkasi, TamilNadu" if you are coming via Aryankavu route) or just give the checkpost address where you enter TN. Honestly they dont check any details in the E-Pass, they only capture the E-Pass registration number, your name, mobile number and no: of passengers.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

No checks at Attibele? Does KA insist on RT PCR even now? Thanks

Forget about checks, havent seen any vehicles being stopped at Attibele. Probably the checks are more stringent while coming from north KL directly to KA

[varkey]

Is the TN ePass still mandatory to transit through TN? (will be travelling from Kochi to Bangalore via Palakkad -- Salem -- Hosur)

My wife and I are fully vaccinated, is that enough or do I really need to get the ePass too to transit?

[pms]

Originally Posted by varkey

Is the TN ePass still mandatory to transit through TN? (will be travelling from Kochi to Bangalore via Palakkad -- Salem -- Hosur)

My wife and I are fully vaccinated, is that enough or do I really need to get the ePass too to transit?

I can comment on Puliyarai check post in Tamilnadu (near Aryankaavu) where they clearly insist on TN E-Pass and fully vaccinated cert even for transit. There were quite a few travelers who were asked to fill and generate the TN E-Pass on the spot via mobile. It hardly takes 10 mins to update and generate E-Pass from the TN website, not worth the risk to travel without it.
Am not sure how stringent the checks are to enter TN via Walayar. If you have E-Pass and Vax Cert, it should do anywhere.

[Garth]

Planning to travel to Ernakulam from Bangalore on 15th. Is there some work happening on the L&T bypass? Any updates on that front?

How are the roads otherwise? Anything that I need to watch out for?

Thanks for the help in advance.

[rohitoasis]

Originally Posted by Garth

Planning to travel to Ernakulam from Bangalore on 15th. Is there some work happening on the L&T bypass? Any updates on that front?

How are the roads otherwise? Anything that I need to watch out for?

Thanks for the help in advance.

I can attest for the stretch between Karpagam college to Madukarai that no work is happening. Do not know much about the balance of distance to Neelambur but considering 15th is Puja, i think there would not be any work.