[JohnnyBoss]

Can anyone recently travelled between Vadakkancherry and Coimbatore via Alathur - Pudunagaram - Velanthavalam - Chavady please update the road conditions.

[ambivalent_98]

Thanks gentlemen. I didn't know about the Rayakottai route. I will take that for sure post Attibele.
Hope it is a good drive to Kochi. Will write back on this forum once done.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Pennagaram-Palacode-Rayakottai-TVS Factory-Attibele : Good 2 lane roads with some random rough sections..

Thanks for this latest update.

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

Thanks gentlemen. I didn't know about the Rayakottai route. I will take that for sure post Attibele.
Hope it is a good drive to Kochi. Will write back on this forum once done.

You have to go under Attibelle flyover and take right to take this route.

Btw, I too will be driving tomorrow through this route to Kochi, probably after 2pm.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Btw, I too will be driving tomorrow through this route to Kochi, probably after 2pm.

This road is suggested ( http://goo.gl/maps/M3zP4 ) to take the Rayakottai road.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

This road is suggested ( http://goo.gl/maps/M3zP4 ) to take the Rayakottai road.

I took this route recently to go to chennai. Work is in progress on Hosur inner ring road. By this route, one can avoid entering hosur completely.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

This road is suggested ( http://goo.gl/maps/M3zP4 ) to take the Rayakottai road.

Me too took this route two months back and it was very good except for a small stretch towards end.

Btw, the road via Kelamangalam to Rayakottai is very good with almost no traffic. There are few rough sections before TVS factory.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Me too took this route two months back and it was very good except for a small stretch towards end.

Btw, the road via Kelamangalam to Rayakottai is very good with almost no traffic. There are few rough sections before TVS factory.

So you mean after TVS factory all the way to Kelamangalam, its now good? I remember Suresh mentioning there were quite many culverts which were getting done. So are they all done now?

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by ampere

So you mean after TVS factory all the way to Kelamangalam, its now good? I remember Suresh mentioning there were quite many culverts which were getting done. So are they all done now?

Yes. TVS factory, all the way to Rayakottai via Kelamangalam.

You can see details here

[coolclouds]

Did Bangalore-Kochi yesterday.

Attibelle-Kelamangalam-Rayakottai-Palacode is mostly good, no issues.
Coimbatore-Palakkad is better than earlier.

Edit: Can anybody let me know the best route from Kochi to Mananthavady? I'm starting tomorrow at 11 am.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Edit: Can anybody let me know the best route from Kochi to Mananthavady? I'm starting tomorrow at 11 am.

Option 1: Kochi-Thrissur-Kunnamkulam-Edappal-Kuttipuram-Valanchery-Edarikode-Ramanattukara-Kozhikode bypass-Malaparamba junction-Kunnamangalam-Thamarashery-Adivaram-Ghat-Lakkidi-Vythiri-Kalpetta bypass-Kainatty junction-Kambalakkad-Panamaram-Naalam mile/Koyileri-Mananthavadi.

Option 2: Kochi-N. Paravur-Kodungalloor-Chavakkad-Ponnani-Chamravattom-Tirur-Parappanangadi-Chettipadi-Chelari-University-Ramanattukara-Kozhikode bypass-Malaparamba junction-Kunnamangalam-Thamarashery-Adivaram-Ghat-Lakkidi-Vythiri-Kalpetta bypass-Kainatty junction-Kambalakkad-Panamaram-Naalam mile/Koyileri-Mananthavadi.

Road condition is good in both routes upto Kambalakkad barring the stray potholes. But Option 2 has much narrower roads till Chettipadi

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Did Bangalore-Kochi yesterday.

Attibelle-Kelamangalam-Rayakottai-Palacode is mostly good, no issues.

Originally Posted by ramzsys

This road is suggested ( http://goo.gl/maps/M3zP4 ) to take the Rayakottai road.

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Following is the route map to avoid thoppur toll as well. The Mecheri-Pennagaram stretch is a treat to drive . I have been on this stretch before. Once you reach Pennagaram, proceed towards the right till you reach a village called Nagadasampatti. From here take a left to proceed towards Palacode. Anyways if in doubt you can ask the locals for guidance.

I will be driving back to Bangalore from Vaikom on October 26th, Sunday. Since it is the end of long weekend, does it make sense to take the Bhavani - Mettur - Mecheri - Pennagaram - Palacode - Attibele route? I would be reaching Salem by 12:00 noon. I want to avoid the Thoppur - Krishnagiri and Attibele toll booths. I have taken the Mettur route to Join Thoppur and the Palacode route to Join Hosur long back but haven't taken the above route.
Is it easy to find directions? I do not have a GPS device.

[ramzsys]

A 3:30 AM start from Bangalore and it was a queue-less toll booths in the NH7-NH47.

And the recent rains must have plummeted the quality of SH86(Omalur-Sankari)- i took it 20 days back and it was manageable then; but yesterday the potholes were just too many!

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

I will be driving back to Bangalore from Vaikom on October 26th, Sunday. Since it is the end of long weekend, does it make sense to take the Bhavani - Mettur - Mecheri - Pennagaram - Palacode - Attibele route? I would be reaching Salem by 12:00 noon. I want to avoid the Thoppur - Krishnagiri and Attibele toll booths. I have taken the Mettur route to Join Thoppur and the Palacode route to Join Hosur long back but haven't taken the above route.
Is it easy to find directions? I do not have a GPS device.

I don't have any latest update on Mettur route but TN state highways are mostly good. You may find little traffic in Mettur.

If you reach Salem by 12 noon, you may not find too much traffic in toll booths. Still, Mettur-Palacode-Rayakottai route will save you a lot in tolls and few kms.

It took 2 hours 30 minutes to do Madiwala-Attibelle-Rayakottai-Palacode-Salem yesterday without overspeeding. Rayakottai-Kelamangalam-Attibelle is good but there are few rough stretches. Ideal for speeds ~70-80 kmph.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

I want to avoid the Thoppur - Krishnagiri and Attibele toll booths. I have taken the Mettur route to Join Thoppur and the Palacode route to Join Hosur long back but haven't taken the above route.
Is it easy to find directions? I do not have a GPS device.

Why not take the Dharmapuri bypass and on to Palacode. Thats the standard route. I think that would be much faster. 12 Noon Salem should be easy. And so should be Topper.

Originally Posted by ramzsys

A 3:30 AM start from Bangalore and it was a queue-less toll booths in the NH7-NH47.
And the recent rains must have plummeted the quality of SH86(Omalur-Sankari)- i took it 20 days back and it was manageable then; but yesterday the potholes were just too many!

Why the SH, when you started at 3:30. Shouldn't the 4-lane be faster at those times?

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ampere

Why the SH, when you started at 3:30. Shouldn't the 4-lane be faster at those times?

Should have been faster, Amp. But i used to prefer SH86 because

- save 2 tolls and also some 10 km in distance.
- Break from the monotonous 4 lane: driving at slow speeds in 2 lane roads seeing the greenery is so relaxing for me & the engine.


The return, as usual, is planned through the honorable NH209.