[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

This would be a less crowded road if you intend to avoid the Salem routes due to heavy vehicle traffic.

Salem-->Coimbatore route is far better than Trichy-->Karur-->Dharapuram. Later one has relatively higher traffic.

[DieselLover]

Just came back from a Kochi - Munnar drive. Started @ 5 45 AM from Kakkanad on 2nd and tool Pookkattupady-Perumbavoor-Kothamangalam-Adimali route and reached the resort by 10 AM. The roads after Pookkattupady is in good shape. I was driving slowly as kid was not in best of health and we also took a 40mins breakfast stop near Adimali.
I was staying at Tea Valley resort which is at Pothamedu. Reached the resort by 10 AM.
Started the return journey at 9 30 AM today morning and reached home by 12 30 PM. It was a non stop drive and traffic was very less on the way down. There was heavy oncoming traffic to Munnar though.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by ak916

From marathalli I suggest you go via sarjapur and connect to hosur under the flyover. Last evening traffic was backed up on top of the flyover so i took right turn there and then the first major left turn, after about 1 km. We took hosur ring road to rayakotai, palacode and entered the NH at dharmapuri.. We did this to avoid the holiday traffic at krishnagiri toll. I hate waiting idle. This route is shorter and quicker if you anticipate a 15 minute wait at krishnagiri toll.

If there is no traffic on hosur flyover, you would normally take left here and then after a km, take the first major right.

Thanks. I will try this route - Sarjapur>Bagalur>Hosur - next time. Usually, I take Sarjapur>Atibelle route to get rid of construction work after hosur.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

Thanks a lot for the details. it will be great if you could upload the video.

Uploaded the dashcam footage of the single lane road to bypass Sankari town

youtube

This video is taken while coming from Omalur/Tharamangalam side till reaching NH47.

The first 400m in the single lane road has got 3-4 potholes and then the road is good.

Pardon the low video quality, 3 things went against the quality.
1. It was taken by an old Nokia C601 converted as a dash cam, but didn't realize that it was not mounted tight.
2. Video conversion caused some quality degradation
3. I passed that area around 6:30 PM with very low light.

Originally Posted by SAPVEN

On the one time I took this route, from Bangalore down, the Sankari end was confusing, and ended up driving the parallel SH 86 through Sankari and a few villages, wasting valuable time. How do I get into the NH directly, coming from Bangalore, and on the return trip, exit the NH at the correct place ?

Thanks

Here is how I normally take this route

While coming from CBE towards Salem -
In the Sankari bypass after SaravanaBhavan look for signboards of a TATA/Maruti service center; signboards are well placed. Turn left at that junction. Turn first right towards the single lane road about 1 km ahead. This single lane road is well laid and after around 6 km reaches the Sankari - Tharamangalam road. Turn left here and proceed towards Tharamangalam.

While coming from Bangalore towards Salem:
You will see Salem airport on left side, turn left at Omalur turn off around 2-3 km from the airport, turn right at Omalur town, turn left at Tharamangalam town, keep going until you see a '6km to Sankari' milestone. On the left side you will find a small hill as well. Turn right there to the single lane road, after 6 km, turn left and then turn right to NH47.

Google maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/TzL2o

The single lane road is completely traffic free and well laid. You will hardly find one or two 2 wheelers in the whole 6 km.

NH7 to NH47 took 45 minutes both ways.

[TheHkrish]

Hi,

Any Idea how is the Virajpet -- Gonikoppal -- Mysore stretch doing now ?, it was horrendous when I traveled 2 years back.

I have a travel plan to travel from Mangalore to Thrissur ( I know this is the longer stretch).

I was intending to take the route from Mangalore to Gonikoppal to Manathavady via Kutta.

I would be travelling tomorrow , any help is greatly appreciated....

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by TheHkrish

Hi,

Any Idea how is the Virajpet -- Gonikoppal -- Mysore stretch doing now ?, it was horrendous when I traveled 2 years back.

I have a travel plan to travel from Mangalore to Thrissur ( I know this is the longer stretch).

I was intending to take the route from Mangalore to Gonikoppal to Manathavady via Kutta.

I would be travelling tomorrow , any help is greatly appreciated....

I travelled this route few months back and it is fine except around 8 km before periyapatna.

Refer the Bangalore - Kannur thread; there this route is discussed in detail and very often.

OT - if you don't have any business in this route, i wont suggest taking this route for Mangalore - TCR travel. A night drive from Mangalore via Calicut will be the best option if you are fine with night driving. Else start very early ..say 3 AM.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by TheHkrish

Hi,

Any Idea how is the Virajpet -- Gonikoppal -- Mysore stretch doing now ?, it was horrendous when I traveled 2 years back.

I have a travel plan to travel from Mangalore to Thrissur ( I know this is the longer stretch).

I was intending to take the route from Mangalore to Gonikoppal to Manathavady via Kutta.

I would be travelling tomorrow , any help is greatly appreciated....

No personal experience. But from recent reports across different threads, mysore- gonikoppal- virajpet section excellent. There were reports in the papers last week about how the gonikkoppa- kutta stretch had be repaired and relaid completely. News gained importance as this is the only route open at night.

Mananthavady onwards, roads are great.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by TheHkrish

Hi,

Any Idea how is the Virajpet -- Gonikoppal -- Mysore stretch doing now ?, it was horrendous when I traveled 2 years back.
.

Mysore-Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Virajpet stretch is in pristine condition now. Entire stretch was freshly relaid. Even the Gonikoppal-Srimangala-Kutta stretch was recently relaid.

[silversteed]

Planning to drive from Palakkad to Kundara and back on the coming sunday. Having a dilemma, whether to take the NH47 till Karunagapally and turn off towards Sasthamcotta, or, take the MC Road from Angamaly and go via Kottarakkara. Since I haven't been on the MC Road for a very long time, I am apprehensive of the road conditions.

I would like to visit Chengannur on the way back. Whenever I visit Chengannur, I usually avoid MC Road in the evenings and hit the NH47 at Ambalappuzha or Alappuzha, after turning off the MC Road from Tiruvalla or Changanassery. Is this still a good idea, or are there any suggestions for alternative routes that would reduce the travel time?

The plan is to leave very early from Palakkad, say 3 o'clock, and start the return trip by 2:30-3 in the afternoon. Hoping that an early morning start would help us do the onward trip in under 7 hours.

[narayanang76]

Just to update:
During the long week end of April 3rd, did a round trip bangalore-shoranur (palakkad)-bangalore.

Started from bangalore on 2nd April thursday around 4:30 PM and reached shoranur at 12:30 (night). Running time around 8 hours including breaks at Shoolagiri for re-fueling and dinner. Route was Whitefield - Chikka Tirupati - Bagalur - Hosur - Dharmapuri - Salem - Avinashi - Palakkad - Shoranur.

Overall road condition was good except the stretch from L&T bypass at Coimbatore till walayar. This road is patched up with small potholes, but manageable. Al other roads were in excellent condition and easily maintain 3 digit speeds continuously. Good news is walayar - palakkad road is also done up almost completely and only pending are the overbridge near chandranagar and the toll booth. Also avinashi stretch is getting completed and the speed breakers on top of the fly overs are reduced, but still present at some places.

Return was on 5th april Sunday, with same route, started at 12:30 from Shoranur and reached whitefield at 8:30 in night. It took the same running time, and fortunately the congestions at toll booths were also manageable yesterday. Otherwise it could have added some 45 minutes to 1 hour more.

[sachinpk]

Returned to Bangalore via Mannuthy bye-pass, Palakkad, Walayar route. The toll collectors are undergoing live training at the tolls booths after Walayar . For a day trip, I feel it is now better to stick on the NH47 to proceed towards Ernakulam or even Thrissur. Yes the road is under construction, it is patchy at places but it is much shorter than the one via Shornur->Ottapalam. Average speed still seems to be better on NH47. Again crossed Walayar check post in a jiffy. Trucks still kept of the roads. Negotiation discussions are only happening today (6th April).

Reached Thoppur toll at around 18:30hours, when I found a long line of trucks. Did not want to take chances at Krishnagiri or in the infamous Attibele toll booths so took off via Palacode-Rayakottai road. The roads are good 80%, but there are some rough patches here and there. Did not know whether I saved much of a time, I reached Elec.city suburbs by around 21:30hours only. My night driving skills are any way poor.

Was there a heavy traffic towards Bangalore, yesterday evening? I suspected lots of folks to be on their return path after celebrating the Easter long week end at home.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by narayanang76

...the overbridge near chandranagar and the toll booth

The overbridge at Chandranagar used to be open for traffic until a week or so ago (my mom used to drive through the overbridge while on her way to Manappullikavu junction so I know for sure), was wondering what made them close it down!

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Reached Thoppur toll at around 18:30hours... I reached Elec.city suburbs by around 21:30hours only

3 hours is decent. I usually take about 3.5-4 hours from Omallur to the E-City toll gate through the Palacode-TVS route, and anywhere between 4-5 hours if I take the NH, after starting from Palakkad at 3-4pm. Thoppur, Krishnagiri and Attibele tolls usually eat up over an hour, and we generally end up visiting the McD or the CCD and the HP fuel station at Shoolagiri to tank up ourselves and the car

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by silversteed

The overbridge at Chandranagar used to be open for traffic until a week or so ago (my mom used to drive through the overbridge while on her way to Manappullikavu junction so I know for sure), was wondering what made them close it down!

Over bridge at Chandra Nagar was open for general traffic coming from Thrissur side. I am dead sure because I went on this over bridge.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by silversteed

The overbridge at Chandranagar used to be open for traffic until a week or so ago (my mom used to drive through the overbridge while on her way to Manappullikavu junction so I know for sure), was wondering what made them close it down!

If you take the overbridge at Chandranagar when nearing Palakkad, is there a down ramp at the Manappulikavu junction ? Asking since I don't remember seeing one, I remember it going straight above the junction towards the Alathur junction.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by NPV

If you take the overbridge at Chandranagar when nearing Palakkad, is there a down ramp at the Manappulikavu junction ? Asking since I don't remember seeing one, I remember it going straight above the junction towards the Alathur junction.

From what I saw yesterday. The over-bridge at Chandra Nagar is mainly for vehicles proceeding from Walayar side to Alathur, AND from Alathur side to Walayar. People who want to enter Palakkad town from any direction, need to go under the over-bridge.