[coolclouds]

One of my friend drove from Chennai to Cochin today in his Manza (via Palghat-Trichur) confirmed that most of the potholes in Kerala roads are patched up except for 2-3 kms.
(He started from Chennai at 1.30am and reached Cochin at 1.30pm)

[poloman]

I have this doubt since I started the Bangalore-Salem-CBE-Thrissur drives 6 years back. I do this minimum 5 times a year. What is the real running time people achieve in this stretch? I could never breach the 8.5 hours figure despite cruising around 120Kmph in the tollways. I have seen people posting figures of 7 hours and so. Are these achievable in reality?

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by poloman

I have this doubt since I started the Bangalore-Salem-CBE-Thrissur drives 6 years back. I do this minimum 5 times a year. What is the real running time people achieve in this stretch? I could never breach the 8.5 hours figure despite cruising around 120Kmph in the tollways. I have seen people posting figures of 7 hours and so. Are these achievable in reality?

Even though I did not do the TCR-BLR stretch continuously, I did the Palakkad Bangalore section in about 6 hrs, including a couple of short breaks in this April. And separately I took about 1.30 hrs from TCR to PLKD. So I think it is doable in 7.30 hrs provided the timing/traffic is appropriate.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by poloman

I have this doubt since I started the Bangalore-Salem-CBE-Thrissur drives 6 years back. I do this minimum 5 times a year. What is the real running time people achieve in this stretch? I could never breach the 8.5 hours figure despite cruising around 120Kmph in the tollways. I have seen people posting figures of 7 hours and so. Are these achievable in reality?

I am not a high-speed driver (80~120Kmph) but had succesfully covered Bangalore~Thodupuzha in 8.5 hours excluding breaks last Jan 2009. Was driving alone to see the face of my newborn son hence very focused on maintaining 100Kmph .

Now a days its quite difficult unless travelling in very odd timings. Traffic is really hard in L&T and NH47 which really defeats the consistant speeding. This time it took me 10 hours excluding breaks due to the traffic and single lane bad roads of NH47.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by poloman

I have this doubt since I started the Bangalore-Salem-CBE-Thrissur drives 6 years back. I do this minimum 5 times a year. What is the real running time people achieve in this stretch? I could never breach the 8.5 hours figure despite cruising around 120Kmph in the tollways. I have seen people posting figures of 7 hours and so. Are these achievable in reality?

Originally Posted by vasoo

Even though I did not do the TCR-BLR stretch continuously, I did the Palakkad Bangalore section in about 6 hrs, including a couple of short breaks in this April. And separately I took about 1.30 hrs from TCR to PLKD. So I think it is doable in 7.30 hrs provided the timing/traffic is appropriate.

I think its possible. Below is the time (as per toll receipts) for a recent trip without any rash driving.

22:26pm L&T 1st Toll (from Walayar side)
23:21pm Perunthurai Toll
12:35am Omallur Toll (Via Salem)
01:03am Thoppur Toll
01:59am Krishnagiri Toll
02:36am Attibelle Toll
02.50am Silk board Jn

2.30 hrs to 3.30hrs is to be added for Cochin-L&T bye pass stretch depending on the time you travel.

[anainar]

Originally Posted by poloman

I have this doubt since I started the Bangalore-Salem-CBE-Thrissur drives 6 years back. I do this minimum 5 times a year. What is the real running time people achieve in this stretch? I could never breach the 8.5 hours figure despite cruising around 120Kmph in the tollways. I have seen people posting figures of 7 hours and so. Are these achievable in reality?

Hey Mate,

Don't lose your sleep over the time taken. There are one too many variables and it is really not worth losing oneself. Safety is more important. I use the numbers more as indicative figures rather than wanting to chase them or question whether it is really possible.

Nainar

[poloman]

anainar, I never chase any figures. i drive fast only when i feel it is safe. But i wan't to understand the actual timings from actual people who have driven on this stretch. People should not try to match some unachievable figures which may have excluded the breaks,jams etc.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by poloman

anainar, I never chase any figures. i drive fast only when i feel it is safe. But i wan't to understand the actual timings from actual people who have driven on this stretch. People should not try to match some unachievable figures which may have excluded the breaks,jams etc.

I agree with this. People often claim extremely aggressive timings (when compared with my timings, I try to keep the speedo at around 100 +/- 10 kmph on highways) and this leads to a general feeling that its okay to do those speeds to those who used to drive a lot more slower. I find it difficult sometimes not to push myself knowing that someone else has done this route in a much shorter time. A friend of mine claims to do BLR (silkboard) to CHN(koyambedu) in 3.30 to 4 Hrs on an average. It takes 5.30 hrs for me with breaks however hard I try so I stopped thinking about it after a while. Though a lot of depends on the car and the time of travel, our highways are not safe at those high speeds IMHO. I had to run over a dog which suddenly jumped across when I was traveling at around 90kmp and I realized how little reaction time I had.

[vasoo]

Any latest update on the road condition from Mysore > Bandipur > Nilmabur > Pandikkad > Mannarkad route? I am driving on this Friday. Yet to decide between NH7/47 or this route.

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by vasoo

Any latest update on the road condition from Mysore > Bandipur > Nilmabur > Pandikkad > Mannarkad route? I am driving on this Friday. Yet to decide between NH7/47 or this route.

Inspite of the Central govt intervening to lift the night traffic ban on the Gundelpet -Bathery/Gudalur stretch, nothing has changed.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by jeeva

Inspite of the Central govt intervening to lift the night traffic ban on the Gundelpet -Bathery/Gudalur stretch, nothing has changed.

It is the court's order under which the roads are closed, so till such time the courts intervene or a legislation passed to that effect I doubt anything could be done in the short term. Good for the wildlife till then.

[vrprabhu]

Has anyone done (or is planning to do) the Calicut - Cannanore - Kasargod - Mangalore route recently? If yes, please post an update - have to do it on Sunday (12/09) and have to reach Mangalore by 8.00 PM at the latest.

Will be grateful for any info - thanks in advance.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by vasoo

Any latest update on the road condition from Mysore > Bandipur > Nilmabur > Pandikkad > Mannarkad route? I am driving on this Friday. Yet to decide between NH7/47 or this route.

Vasoo - As far as I know, Bangalore - Mysore - Gudalur is good overall with Mysore - Nanjangud and a 2 km stretch just after Gundlupet being the only two bad stretches. However, not too sure about the route beyond. Any updates on this would be highly appreciated.

In fact, I am planning to take Nilambur - Vadapuram - Wandoor - Pandikkad - Pattikad - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi - Kunnamkulam - Chavakkad for my Bangalore - Kochi trip later this month.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

In fact, I am planning to take Nilambur - Vadapuram - Wandoor - Pandikkad - Pattikad - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi - Kunnamkulam - Chavakkad for my Bangalore - Kochi trip later this month.

I am interested to know more on this route too. Last month when I did Thrissur-Blr, I was thinking about this route, but dropped it finally as I had no idea of the roads upto Bandipur. What would be the total distance and time (Blr-Cochin) if we take this route?
The NH7+NH47 route would come to 530Kms approximately, if IIRC.
360(cbe)+110(thrissur)+60(cochin).

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by sbkumar

What would be the total distance and time (Blr-Cochin) if we take this route?

I calculated Bangalore (Whitefield) to Paravoor (my destination) as ~480 kms