[Milestone]

Originally Posted by jacs

Guys,

Got an update that Trissur-Palakkad stretch is patched up temporarily and 20-30% better than last month. Any light? I'm having a drive in New Year.

Yeh it's lot better compared to earlier state, last week travelled on TCR - PGT.

Cheers !!!

[jacs]

Originally Posted by lloydofcochin

^^

Hopefully will give you an update tomorrow. I'm driving down to Cochin tonight.

Btw, does anyone wants to join me till Cochin? I'm driving alone and I wouldn't mind a couple of T-Bhpians joining me

Originally Posted by Milestone

Yeh it's lot better compared to earlier state, last week travelled on TCR - PGT.

Cheers !!!

Thanks guys. One more guy confimed that its better after the recent patch work and main worry is diversions in Avinashi due to 4 laning . Kumily - Dindigul route has lot of potholes as updated by him.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by jacs

Thanks guys. One more guy confimed that its better after the recent patch work and main worry is diversions in Avinashi due to 4 laning . Kumily - Dindigul route has lot of potholes as updated by him.

I did the Avinashi - Cbe stretch this weekend - Friday evening (8PM -to 9.30 PM) and Saturday afternoon 3-4.30 PM. Though the road conditions are okay in most places you need to be an aggressive driver to over take vehicles. A long convoy builds up fast behind slow moving trucks.

[sv1976]

Originally Posted by jacs

main worry is diversions in Avinashi due to 4 laning

Does the 4 laning work mean the road is closed and traffic diverted?

Originally Posted by sbkumar

I did the Avinashi - Cbe stretch this weekend - Friday evening (8PM -to 9.30 PM) and Saturday afternoon 3-4.30 PM. Though the road conditions are okay in most places you need to be an aggressive driver to over take vehicles. A long convoy builds up fast behind slow moving trucks.

This has been the case always in this stretch. Is there a diversion anywhere?

[Milestone]

Originally Posted by sv1976

Does the 4 laning work mean the road is closed and traffic diverted?


This has been the case always in this stretch. Is there a diversion anywhere?

It's not such a major diversion and the roads are not closed, one has to divert from the NH or rather off road where the construction is going on and get back, it’s hardly 30 to 40 meters at each construction area. Don’t count correctly, approx. some where around 10 such spots are there. And its not that bad, only thing is it will slow down your pace.

Cheers !!!

[RedOne]

Originally Posted by sbkumar

Day2:
NH47 is probably the easiest I guess. Not sure of the alternate routes here

Thanks! I heard that of late, the MC road is preferable (thru kottayam I think) than NH47.

Gears,
Red-One.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by Milestone

It's not such a major diversion and the roads are not closed, one has to divert from the NH or rather off road where the construction is going on and get back, it’s hardly 30 to 40 meters at each construction area. Don’t count correctly, approx. some where around 10 such spots are there. And its not that bad, only thing is it will slow down your pace.

Cheers !!!

Yes, there are no diversions. You just have to go off road for some meters and get back on road, mostly at places where some pillars are being laid and things like that. These off road tracks were pretty uneven and narrow like a single lane and hence you will have to slow down completely. The bigger problem is the slow moving traffic. It helps you in a way though, you are not surprised by any unmarked diversions on an empty stretch:-).

[ThePunter]

Originally Posted by ThePunter

Guys, xmas vacation time, and am planning chennai to Kerala trip. I would be starting on 22nd dec mid day. Would really like to get december*updates on*road condition.

Primary route i am looking for is:
Chennai Tambaram- chennai bypass -NH4 vellore -krishnagiri- thoppur- ammapettai-bhavani- avinashi -Coimbatore L&T bypass- palakkad -mannarkkad-perinthalmanna
Main concern in this route is , I just found a few days old post saying thoppur to ammapettai is really bad. Will it be better to take salem route itself from thoppur?

Second route is:
Tambaram- chengalpet-ulundurpet- kallakurichi -Salem -avinashi and remaining will be the same.
Concern in this route being *ulundurpet to Salem stretch. I had did his route 3-4 months back during the last week of august when it was road widening / construction in full swing with many many small diversions and was a really bad experience. What's the status of this construction now? Because I am really hopeful of this route since once this stretch is finished of widening it wil be the shorter (and good) route to Kerala from chennai

Regarding the first route I got the latest last weekend update that*thoppur- ammapettai-bhavani route is not worth taking as the rains have did their part well. So I will be sticking to thoppur Salem byepass NH47 route itself.*
On the second route the latest update is that construction is still going on at various places in ulundurpet to Salem stretch. So I am not thinking about that route also.*
Rest of it, I am thoughtful of whether sticking to nh47 itself taking diversions at 10+ spots in avinashi Coimbatore stretch or will it be worthwhile taking the other less-traffic wala perundurai kangeyem palladam route. (thanks for the suggestion ) Not sure since it is not a main highway and it just could turn out to be 'rougher' than normal which defeats the purpose. Other thing being I will be passing thru avinashi during peak times of 7pm to 9pm time. So I might gain with the second route as well.*
Coimbatore palakkad will remain a pain for some time for it's 2 way traffic*
What does experimenters say?

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by ThePunter

Regarding the first route I got the latest last weekend update that*thoppur- ammapettai-bhavani route is not worth taking as the rains have did their part well. So I will be sticking to thoppur Salem byepass NH47 route itself.*
On the second route the latest update is that construction is still going on at various places in ulundurpet to Salem stretch. So I am not thinking about that route also.*
Rest of it, I am thoughtful of whether sticking to nh47 itself taking diversions at 10+ spots in avinashi Coimbatore stretch or will it be worthwhile taking the other less-traffic wala perundurai kangeyem palladam route. (thanks for the suggestion ) Not sure since it is not a main highway and it just could turn out to be 'rougher' than normal which defeats the purpose. Other thing being I will be passing thru avinashi during peak times of 7pm to 9pm time. So I might gain with the second route as well.*
Coimbatore palakkad will remain a pain for some time for it's 2 way traffic*
What does experimenters say?

From my personal experience, perundurai-kangeyem-palladam is not worth at all. There are a number of small towns and you can't maintain any good speed over this route. This was before rains, not sure about the road conditions now. As said in the earlier posts, there are no real diversions on this route. You just have to go off road for a few meters and then get back on road.

[ampere]

Basic Question:
When does 4L work start on the CBE-Palakakd-Trichur section?
Has it already started? If not, when is the plan? After Avinashi stretch completion?

[hvkumar]

As ThePunter says, the Toppur-Mettur-Ammapaettai-Bhavani route is in a pathetic state currently, and definitely not the road to be taken.

I would not waste my time in the small town roads, sticking to NH47 through Avinashi notwithstanding that there is congestion. It is after all just a few kms before you hit the Coimbatore bypass, and definitely lots of peace of mind driving on the main roads, when you are on a long trip.

Salem-Ulundurpettai road has been perpetually in a bad shape - since the early '80s - and unless teh road widening is completed not worth taking at all.

Currently, the best route from Chennai to Palakkad side is only on the NH4-NH46-NH7-NH47 combo via Vellore, Krishangiri, Salem, Avinashi & Coimbatore.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by ampere

Basic Question:
When does 4L work start on the CBE-Palakakd-Trichur section?
Has it already started? If not, when is the plan? After Avinashi stretch completion?

Four laning and road widening on NH47 in Kerala? Where did you read this?

I don't think it is going to happen as there is considerable opposition from local folks, establishment and politicos.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sbraj

Four laning and road widening on NH47 in Kerala? Where did you read this?

I don't think it is going to happen as there is considerable opposition from local folks, establishment and politicos.

But then its GQ right? If Trichur-Angamaly and beyond can also be almost completed, why not this section? Why the protest? Due to ghats?


In Dec 2009 I came back via Kumarakom-Ernakulam-Trichur. 4L was in full swing. In fact almost done. I took exited the highway and came to town. Hence I naturally assumed the stretch would completed all the way up to CBE.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by sbraj

Four laning and road widening on NH47 in Kerala? Where did you read this?

I don't think it is going to happen as there is considerable opposition from local folks, establishment and politicos.

It is in fact happening ( between cochin and trissur at least). Did not see any work happening between Cochin and Allepey though. This is as per my Sept 2010 visit.

Originally Posted by ampere

But then its GQ right? If Trichur-Angamaly and beyond can also be almost completed, why not this section? Why the protest? Due to ghats?

In Dec 2009 I came back via Kumarakom-Ernakulam-Trichur. 4L was in full swing. In fact almost done. I took exited the highway and came to town. Hence I naturally assumed the stretch would completed all the way up to CBE.

This was not completed ( as of Sept 2010), I guess it's probably in the same state what you saw in 2009. There are some stretches with 4 lanes interspersed with 2 lanes.

[ampere]

But then as Raj mentioned, what is the protest all about?