[mykal shoemaker]

Originally Posted by CBlazer

I will be travelling from Bangalore to Trivandrum (via NH7) next week. While returning I wanted to take the NH208 - basically to see Kutralam falls.

Google Maps shows this as the default route for the return journey. How good is the road condition?

Perfect.
I did 3 rips on Kollam--Thenkasi-Madurai-Bangalore routes in recent times.
(I do a bypass of Thenkashi from Shengottai).

You can get an exact feel of the road in my recent travelogue.
Here is the link



Kulathuppuzha-->thenmala-->Aaryankavu-->Chengottai-->thenkashi-->Kuttalam

will be your route.Its not a big deviation off the highway.So you won't lose much time and effort.

[Digital Vampire]

Folks.. Need some very urgent help...

An unexpected (and sad) emergency popped up and have to start my travel from Bangalore to Calicut (Kozhikodu) in the next few hours.

I'm thinking of (BLR-Mysore-Gundlupet-Sultan Bathery-Calicut).
Which is the best route? I've heard the ghats are in very bad shape.Is it recommended when travelling with a 17 months old baby?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Folks.. Need some very urgent help...

An unexpected (and sad) emergency popped up and have to start my travel from Bangalore to Calicut (Kozhikodu) in the next few hours.

I'm thinking of (BLR-Mysore-Gundlupet-Sultan Bathery-Calicut).
Which is the best route? I've heard the ghats are in very bad shape.Is it recommended when travelling with a 17 months old baby?

I think it still is the fastest route to Calicut. I would say take that route and go ahead. And NICE road usage (if you are in South BLR) is a must.

[sajidclt]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Folks.. Need some very urgent help...

An unexpected (and sad) emergency popped up and have to start my travel from Bangalore to Calicut (Kozhikodu) in the next few hours.

I'm thinking of (BLR-Mysore-Gundlupet-Sultan Bathery-Calicut).
Which is the best route? I've heard the ghats are in very bad shape.Is it recommended when travelling with a 17 months old baby?

The ghat sections have been repaired to some extent. My dad had travelled last week through the same and he says it is better than it used to be a month back.

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by ampere

I think it still is the fastest route to Calicut. I would say take that route and go ahead. And NICE road usage (if you are in South BLR) is a must.

Thanks for your quick response...Much appreciated!

[jeevmenon]

There is an other thread which mentions about bypassing Avinashi. Incase some of you missed it.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ch-nh47-2.html

So people traveling who get into Kerala via Palakkad, this could be an interesting detour to avoid the 40 km of Avinashi 4 laning work and the truck crowd. I took it yesterday from the southern section and it was good and recommended (atleast valid for the time/day/date I did it.)

[jacs]

I had a round trip last weekend from Bangalore to Kottayam. That too driving alone as informed earlier. I started quite early around 2PM and reached Avinashi around 6:30PM driving continuously without any major breaks and safe driving below <120KMPH. 303KMs of beautiful 4 lane roads!

Rain started from Avinashi and lasted till Kottayam . Reached home by 12:30AM with half an hour break. Driving in dark and rain was a tough choice for Palakkad - Trissur stretch, many pothholes and some are really huge enough to hold a bike (I witnessed an accident but nothing catastrophic happened because everyone were slow because of rains).

Total 590KMs (BLR-SELAM-PALAKKAD-TRISSUR-ANGAMALY-MUVATTUPUZHA-MARANGATTUPALLY-MANARCAD).

I would request people driving via Trissur route to avoid night journey because of rains and feable visibility.

[nishad.hameed]

came across Mangalore - calicut route last week. The stretch between Mangalore and Neeleshwar is bad. The road is better after Neeleshwaram till kozhikode. You can avoid a part of bad road by taking Kasargode - Kanhangad route to bypass the NH17 worst stretch to an extend.

[SkyWalker]

Yesterday, started from Kochi at 6 AM and reached Indiranagar at 2:15 PM. With about 45 mins break included, total time took 8 hr 15 mins, 7.5 hours of driving.

Road conditions in Kerala are pathetic - most stretches are potholed, congested and difficult to manage. The 4 laning at Avinashi mean there were multiple diversions, but unlike Salem last tear, the diversions are well managed and very short, so it doesn't slow down traffic much. Post that its beautiful highways all the way to Madiwala.

There are many tollbooths now, the tools were ~300. (including elevated Elec City one).

[Sujai]

Yesterday was a bad day to drive back from Cochin to Bangalore, Rain after crossing border and very long queues in Toll Booths (and forced diversions through bad roads because of toll booth queues ). Yesterday being sunday , the drive through thrissur , wadkanchery, Shornur,Ottappalam,Palakkad was exciting( this diversion took me 2 hours though)

[jeevmenon]

Sujai: Please give more info on road conditions Ernakulam-Thrissur? Which toll booths, which area? Did you get food at the Dharmapuri A2B ? It was full of people at 1:30 pm when we arrived. Or did you go via Sathy/Mysore?

Question to jacs/Sujai/Skywalker and any recent visitors of the stretch:

How did you find Avinashi (4-Laning) stretch yesterday/last week? Do you remember how many diversions? Do these diversions take you a long way away from the NH or are these small bypasses created especially for the 4-Laning work? Was it cumbersome and frustrating?

[sv1976]

Returned from Calicut to Bangalore yesterday. Wayanad hair pin bends are done up and is much better now. I could see some work happening during my trip so it will be even better in a few days. Nanjangud-Mysore has gone worse. I hope they do something here before Christmas vacation.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Sujai: Please give more info on road conditions Ernakulam-Thrissur? Which toll booths, which area? Did you get food at the Dharmapuri A2B ? It was full of people at 1:30 pm when we arrived. Or did you go via Sathy/Mysore?

I came to this A2B thoppur at around 8 PM and crowded is an understatement. The quality has gone down drastically since the last one year. Need to find alternatives for this one. Any suggestions for a quick and decent break near salem?

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Sujai: Please give more info on road conditions Ernakulam-Thrissur?

From Ernakulam to Angamaly, the road is mostly good (except a small patch around Kalamassery) - but quite busy with traffic. Work is going on in most stretches between Angamaly and Thrissur. There aren't many diversions, but those stretches that have not yet been 4-laned are in bad shape.

Originally Posted by sv1976

Returned from Calicut to Bangalore yesterday. Wayanad hair pin bends are done up and is much better now. I could see some work happening during my trip so it will be even better in a few days.

If Wayanad hair pin bends are better now, I shudder to think how they were earlier! I was there last week (Thursday, Friday) and I thought the ghat section was atrocious.

[sv1976]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

If Wayanad hair pin bends are better now, I shudder to think how they were earlier! I was there last week (Thursday, Friday) and I thought the ghat section was atrocious.

If you had seen them last month after the heavy rains, you would've searched for a heavier synonym to 'atrocious'. Even now, not all hair pin bends are ok but compared to last month, its much better.