[ampere]

Originally Posted by narayan

1. Chennai - Palakkad
Presume its prudent to take the Perundurai-Kangayam-Palladam-Pollachi-Palakkad route ?

Not necessarily. You can do Salem-Perundurai-Avinashi-Mangalam-Palladam-Pollachi-Palakkad. You can take the 4-lane till Avinashi and then exit.

2. Palakkad - Vagamon - Pls advise a suitable route. Will start by morning and plan to reach by noon at Vagamon. Pls advise a few b'fast ( veg ) options en route

Palakkad-Ottapalam-Shornur-Trichur-Angamaly-Perumbavoor-MVPA-Thodupuzha-Vagamon.

Only question is how is traffic and condition on MC road.

[binand]

Originally Posted by ampere

Palakkad-Ottapalam-Shornur-Trichur-Angamaly-Perumbavoor-MVPA-Thodupuzha-Vagamon.

Only question is how is traffic and condition on MC road.

Angamaly-Perumbavur-Muvattupuzha was quite good when I was in this part of the world in April. Today's Malayala Manorama has an editorial on KSTP and some related matters, in which they clearly mention that Muvattupuzha-Thodupuzha is in excellent condition (and that Thodupuzha-Punalur is a disaster).

Link (Malayalam only): http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bi...D=@@@&tabId=11

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Why not Cumbum Theni Rajakkad etc? No need to come to palakkad.

In TN, take GST to Trichy. Not sure of Yrichy Madurai Cumbum.

[deepclutch]

Originally Posted by binand

Angamaly-Perumbavur-Muvattupuzha was quite good when I was in this part of the world in April. Today's Malayala Manorama has an editorial on KSTP and some related matters, in which they clearly mention that Muvattupuzha-Thodupuzha is in excellent condition (and that Thodupuzha-Punalur is a disaster).

Link (Malayalam only): http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bi...D=@@@&tabId=11

Most probably, Straightening and widening of existing Thodupuzha-Vazhithala-Kuthattukulam road joining MC road towards Kottayam will happen. skipping hilly highway towards Pala. Development of Thodupuzha to Angamaly highway(MC road included) was credited to the minister hailing from Thodupuzha.

There a number of projects proposed and in implementation developing Thodupuzha, including development of Thodupuzha-Ramamangalam-Choondy(NH49) as a parallel highway to Ernakulam(which is OK) while, it is rather unfortunate seeing the condition of traffic bottlenecks in Kalady, Muvattupuzha, Perumbavoor towns desparately seeking bypasses but without having a god father to bring needed development.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by bejoy

How is the Mettur route nowadays? Used to take this route long back and used to be excellent. Bhavani town can slow down a bit though.

EDIT: BTW, any toll booths which are unavoidable?

A friend of mine had been on the metur bhavani road this April. He said the roads were very good. I had been on this stretch back in Aug 2013. It was a bliss to drive then. No tolls on this route. This is the shortest route to reach Erode without touching Salem.

[Edwardanto]

Originally Posted by ampere

Palakkad-Ottapalam-Shornur-Trichur-Angamaly-Perumbavoor-MVPA-Thodupuzha-Vagamon.

Only question is how is traffic and condition on MC road.

Angamaly-Perumbavoor-Muvattupuzha-Thodupuzha was excellent except for the Kalady Bridge when I traveled two weeks back. There was a report in Malayala Manorama last week saying repair works are to be carried out on Kalady bridge. Don't know the present condition. Even so, expect quite a decent jam at Kalady especially if you are passing during school/office time. Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and Thodupuzha towns are somewhat okay to pass through.

While driving from Thodupuzha to Wagamon, don't follow the default route google map provides. My brother took that route a few of months back and it was a painful drive. After the recent rains the road might have deteriorated further. From Thodupuzha head to Erattupetta via Muttom and drive to Wagamon from there. See the route link below.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/10...d9.6861814!3e0

[treadmark]

Folks,
Had anyone used Gudalur ~ Nilambur ~ Perinthalmanna stretch off late?
If yes please share the condition of road. I'm planning for a drive this Onam weekend to Thrissur from Bangalore. It's been more than a year I've used this route. Also I hope the road until Gudalur through Chamarajnagar is on good condition.

Thank you in advance.
Cheers!

[binand]

Originally Posted by treadmark

Had anyone used Gudalur ~ Nilambur ~ Perinthalmanna stretch off late?
If yes please share the condition of road. I'm planning for a drive this Onam weekend to Thrissur from Bangalore. It's been more than a year I've used this route. Also I hope the road until Gudalur through Chamarajnagar is on good condition.

I had gone till Gudalur in late July and till Perumbavur in April. Here is a quick summary:

Bangalore-Kanakapura-Kollegal - Good roads, sparse traffic.
Kollegal-Ch. Nagar - Goes through some small villages where the road is barely 1 bus wide. Otherwise good.
Ch. Nagar-Gundlupet - Rough road, advisable to stay below 60 kmph.
Gundlupet-Bandipura-Thepakkadu - Good road. Speedbreakers galore. Forest entry time issues.
Thepakkadu-Gudalur - Horrible. About 12 km which doesn't look as if a road existed.
Gudalur-Nadugani-Nilambur - Good roads. Recently relaid, no issues.
Nilambur-Perinthalmanna-Pattambi-Thrissur - Good roads, Kerala-type traffic. No complaints.

[treadmark]

Originally Posted by binand

Bangalore-Kanakapura-Kollegal - Good roads, sparse traffic.
Kollegal-Ch. Nagar - Goes through some small villages where the road is barely 1 bus wide. Otherwise good.
Ch. Nagar-Gundlupet - Rough road, advisable to stay below 60 kmph.
Gundlupet-Bandipura-Thepakkadu - Good road. Speedbreakers galore. Forest entry time issues.
Thepakkadu-Gudalur - Horrible. About 12 km which doesn't look as if a road existed.
Gudalur-Nadugani-Nilambur - Good roads. Recently relaid, no issues.
Nilambur-Perinthalmanna-Pattambi-Thrissur - Good roads, Kerala-type traffic. No complaints.

Thank you so much! I'm aware of the situation until Gundlupet which I used couple of weeks back to Wayanad and I use Chamarajnagar ~ Dhimbam ~ Pollachi once in every two months for my onward journey to Kerala and return through Salem.
Moreover this weekend being Onam I'm any way going to stay away from AH 43 and thought of using the usual Dhimbam route. But looking at your update looks like I can manage the 12km bad stretch and stick with Nilambur this time around.
Thank you once again.
Cheers!

[Steeroid]

Gentlemen

I think you need to be much more worried about the roads IN Kerala than the roads TO Kerala after the last 3 or 4 weeks of incessant rains.

Sincere advice to all travelling into the state - please use trains or other public transportation until the rains abate and they begin repairs on the roads.

Its just not worth driving here.

[kala]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Coming this Onam weekend, traffic towards Kerala will be high and it may take more time to cross toll booths. IMO, its better to take Bangalore-Attibelle-Kelamangalam-Rayakottai-Palacode-Dharmapuri-Salem/Omallur route during peak hours.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Dear sir.. if it is not a major hassle, can you give me the GPS coordinates for this route? I can then set it in MapMyIndia and give it a try. Travelling with family so really cannot affort to lose my way. Plan is to drive down to Kerala this Friday.

Not quite sure why people who want to avoid the toll booths don't consider NH209. Will get you to the destination much faster than all these deviations through state roads and it is generally a no hassles - sparse traffic drive.

I'm a regular on that route, and almost every time that I have travelled that way it has taken me between 4.5 hours and 4 hrs 45 minutes to get to Karumathampatti (on NH47) from the NICE road / Kanakapura Road junction - Don't think you can achieve anything near than if you take the Palacode route.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Dear sir.. if it is not a major hassle, can you give me the GPS coordinates for this route? I can then set it in MapMyIndia and give it a try. Travelling with family so really cannot affort to lose my way. Plan is to drive down to Kerala this Friday.
.

Hope this image helps.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by kala

Not quite sure why people who want to avoid the toll booths don't consider NH209. Will get you to the destination much faster than all these deviations through state roads and it is generally a no hassles - sparse traffic drive.

I'm a regular on that route, and almost every time that I have travelled that way it has taken me between 4.5 hours and 4 hrs 45 minutes to get to Karumathampatti (on NH47) from the NICE road / Kanakapura Road junction - Don't think you can achieve anything near than if you take the Palacode route.

Me too regular on this route and its a good alternative to standard NH7-47. Dimbam ghats can be a bottle neck especially during night and if there is a lorry breakdown, options to get out is limited.

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Hope this image helps.

Attachment 1281112

Inner ring road is in good condition and can take a right at Sikshya School to join Hosur-Palacode SH directly.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Inner ring road is in good condition and can take a right at Sikshya School to join Hosur-Palacode SH directly.

Thanx a lot Mate. I was not aware of this inner ring road. You are saying while heading towards TVS Nagar, we have to cross a level crossing. After this take a right to proceed towards Hosur-Rayakottai road. Right??

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Thanx a lot Mate. I was not aware of this inner ring road. You are saying while heading towards TVS Nagar, we have to cross a level crossing. After this take a right to proceed towards Hosur-Rayakottai road. Right??

In your map, take the inner ring road (right) instead of Ulavar Sandhai road.