[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by speed_edge

In pics below, blue line is going in parallel with grey one in google map.

Aah.. not to worry. Google is taking you through the better road, which is the National Highway 7 (from Bangalore to Salem) and National Highway 47 (from Salem all the way to Edappalli near Kochi). The parallel roads if you notice go through towns like Erode, Irugur etc, these are all state highways.

When going down to Kochi, you can just stick to the four lane tolled highways, with your wallet always ready to shell out cash . From Bangalore, ideally Salem would be the only town/city which you would have to cross. All other major towns are clearly bye-passed by the highways.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by speed_edge

I'm planning to start by 4AM in the morning, so please let me know some decent place for breakfast around 8-9AM. And another one at around 11-12pm. Travelling with wife and kids so need stops with decent toilets for loo breaks.

Budget around 3 hours to reach Salem, you will reach Sree Saravana Bhavan on the left side, at Vaikundam. Approximately 25km after you turn left onto the flyover towards Coimbatore. There's a Saravana Bhavan Classic available on the right side (while going towards Coimbatore), about 15km after the Vaikundam toll booth.

Further ahead, you have some Ananda Bhavan/Saravana Bhavan just before the turn off towards the L&T toll road at Neelambur, but this would be at least 4.5 hours away from Bangalore.

The NH7/NH47 route is dotted with multiple eateries, and my experience with those small Divya Bakes and Jeyankar eateries have been good, in terms of rest rooms and safety.

Originally Posted by speed_edge

Thanks, this for sure will help. I see that google shows two parallel roads from Salem to Alleppey. Not sure which one should I take. The default one is okay?

I see that you would've already got answers to all your questions.

@sachin, you can bypass Salem also, through the Omallur route, but it won't give the comfort of a 4-L highway

[tomchacks]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Any very recent update on the condition of the Tirur-Ernakulam NH17 via Ponnani-Kodungallur-N.Paravur-Container road-high court? Will be driving on this stretch this Sunday.

I had driven on this route on 23 June while going to Wayanad from Ernakulam. The road condition was generally good. I went via Ponnani-Chamravattom-Tirur-Parappanagadi, turned right at Chettipadi and joined back NH 17 at Chelari.

If you are planning to drive from Bangalore via Kalpetta, to avoid Calicut city, it is advisable to take the left turn at Kunnamangalam to reach around 5 kms from Ramanttukara via Kuttikattoor and Perumanna. Though road is Ok, it is narrow at some places; but saves a lot of time.

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Any very recent update on the condition of the Tirur-Ernakulam NH17 via Ponnani-Kodungallur-N.Paravur-Container road-high court? Will be driving on this stretch this Sunday.

I went to Guruvayoor Temple on 21st July and took this route till Chavakkad. Overall the road surface is good and the traffic is heavy

- Random 'surprise' potholes between Parappanangadi - Tirur - Chamravattom.

- Chamrvattom - Ponnani - Chavakkad : Excellent surface

Sharing few screenshots from my dashcam video footage :

1) Chavakkad - Ponnani



2) Towards Ponnani KeSRTC Bus Station



3) Towards Plus Junction



4) Towards Chamravattom Bridge



5) Potholes before Chamravattom Bridge



6) Potholes before Chamravattom Bridge



7) Potholes after Chamravattom Bridge



8) Parappanangadi - Tirur stretch

[binand]

Originally Posted by tomchacks

If you are planning to drive from Bangalore via Kalpetta, to avoid Calicut city, it is advisable to take the left turn at Kunnamangalam to reach around 5 kms from Ramanttukara via Kuttikattoor and Perumanna. Though road is Ok, it is narrow at some places; but saves a lot of time.

Calicut has a very good bypass nowaydays; just proceed a few more km further from Kunnamangalam till Malapparamba to take it. It will take you straight to the junction of NH 17 and NH 213 at Ramanattukara. Quite preferable over any other alternatives (unless you want to give Calicut a very wide berth, in which case Thamarassery-Arekkode-Kondotty-Kolappuram is the best of the lot).

I know the Kunnamangalam-Kuttikkattur road at least; it is what is classified as an "MLA Road" in Kerala (ie, developed from MLALAD funds) and is generally narrow and unmaintained.

[tomchacks]

Originally Posted by binand

Calicut has a very good bypass nowaydays; just proceed a few more km further from Kunnamangalam till Malapparamba to take it. It will take you straight to the junction of NH 17 and NH 213 at Ramanattukara.

I know the Kunnamangalam-Kuttikkattur road at least; it is what is classified as an "MLA Road" in Kerala (ie, developed from MLALAD funds) and is generally narrow and unmaintained.

I agree the Calicut bypass now avoids the city and is really good. but I have twice got struck in the bypass traffic in peak hours. So when Google showed this in their Kochi- Kalpetta route, I tried it both ways and was happy with the result, both in time saved and road condition.

[Accent Martin]

What do you all suggest with this - Drive from Bangalore to angamaly in the evening. If I leave BLR at 4:30 pm, I should reach angamaly by 1 am. Would this be safe? Has anyone tried this time?

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by tomchacks

I had driven on this route on 23 June while going to Wayanad from Ernakulam. The road condition was generally good. I went via Ponnani-Chamravattom-Tirur-Parappanagadi, turned right at Chettipadi and joined back NH 17 at Chelari.

If you are planning to drive from Bangalore via Kalpetta, to avoid Calicut city, it is advisable to take the left turn at Kunnamangalam to reach around 5 kms from Ramanttukara via Kuttikattoor and Perumanna. Though road is Ok, it is narrow at some places; but saves a lot of time.

Thanks for the update. I am starting from my wife's home near Tirur, going towards Alapuzha with an overnight break at Kaloor, Kochi.

Will try this alternative next time when I drive from Bangalore to Tirur via Wayanad. Usually I drive till Malaparamba jn and turn left on to the bypass.
I usually take the Gudalur Nilambur route though.

Originally Posted by Klub Class

I went to Guruvayoor Temple on 21st July and took this route till Chavakkad. Overall the road surface is good and the traffic is heavy

- Random 'surprise' potholes between Parappanangadi - Tirur - Chamravattom.

-

Surprised to see potholes between Tirur and Parappanangadi. Any chance you remember the exact point/area? The surface was very good when I last travelled in mid june.

The final approach around Chamravattom bridge has been bad since many months. Last when I did that route, my punto's underbody took a hit somewhere around there.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by Accent Martin

What do you all suggest with this - Drive from Bangalore to angamaly in the evening. If I leave BLR at 4:30 pm, I should reach angamaly by 1 am. Would this be safe? Has anyone tried this time?

- the only place you are likely to lose time is salem town (the roundabouts will have jams) since you will be there ~7-7:30 pm.
- be careful of serious potholes in the vadakkenchery-mannuthi stretch (unlike the madukkarai-walayar stretch where we anyway expect potholes to last the entire distance, this 25km stretch can falsely tempt you with in-between smooth sections; more so, in the night).

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Surprised to see potholes between Tirur and Parappanangadi. Any chance you remember the exact point/area? The surface was very good when I last travelled in mid june

Back after a drive to Tirur railway station.

The major bad surfaces are at :

- Near Parappanangadi Railway Station
- 6.5 km - big potholes and craters just after a left curve (refer 8th image in my last post)
- 11 km - big potholes
- 13.5 km - uneven road edge and few potholes towards the edge (difficult to notice after water logging)
- 17.8 km - rough sector before Thazhe-Palam

(Reference 'zero' point - Parappanangadi Railway Over Bridge)

The other potholes are difficult to miss

[speed_edge]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Aah.. not to worry. Google is taking you through the better road

When going down to Kochi, you can just stick to the four lane tolled highways, with your wallet always ready to shell out cash .

Thanks Sachinpk! Toll is not an issue as long as I keep getting good roads

Originally Posted by silversteed

Budget around 3 hours to reach Salem, you will reach Sree Saravana Bhavan on the left side, at Vaikundam. Approximately 25km after you turn left onto the flyover towards Coimbatore. There's a Saravana Bhavan Classic available on the right side (while going towards Coimbatore), about 15km after the Vaikundam toll booth.

Further ahead, you have some Ananda Bhavan/Saravana Bhavan just before the turn off towards the L&T toll road at Neelambur, but this would be at least 4.5 hours away from Bangalore.


@sachin, you can bypass Salem also, through the Omallur route, but it won't give the comfort of a 4-L highway

Thanks Silversteed! I'll stick to 4L road and early morning Salem may not be an issue. Thanks for pointing to few more eateries. Main reasons for breaks on highway is to access rest rooms when travel with ladies.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

...Then they have another yet-to-start bridge work at Navakkarai. The Flyover at chavadi is also there.

Isn't there some sort of pier/pillar erected close by in Navakkarai?

I hate to think of the state of affairs when they start the flyover work at Chavadi, it's already a bottleneck. Maybe I'll stick to the Pollachi route for the next few months

Walayar-Wadakkenchery section

You meant the Walayar-Vadakkenchery section, didn't you?

OT

Originally Posted by deemash

I am also from Palakkad but working in Coimbatore...

mallumowgli ette, we have one more guy to have a meet, the next time I'm around ;-)

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by Accent Martin

What do you all suggest with this - Drive from Bangalore to angamaly in the evening. If I leave BLR at 4:30 pm, I should reach angamaly by 1 am. Would this be safe? Has anyone tried this time?

If you leave BLR at 4.30pm, you will reach L&T exit by 10.30 pm approx and expect lot of incoming high beam traffic especially buses and trucks. L&T exit to Walayar is bad and also, Vadakkancherry-Mannuthy.

At Walayar, lane towards Palakkad gets blocked due to trucks parking so take opposite lane as we used to do during earlier days (Now its four lane, be careful!)

FYI, today, there was traffic block in Walayar, Chavady and Pattikkad during evening hours.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

If you leave BLR at 4.30pm, you will reach L&T exit by 10.30 pm approx and expect lot of incoming high beam traffic especially buses and trucks. L&T exit to Walayar is bad and also, Vadakkancherry-Mannuthy.

Driving in the night, I feel the Chandra Nagar-Vadakkanchery-Kuthiran-Mannuthi route may be a bit dicey. Because of the uneven road surfaces etc. I am not very comfortable in night driving, but if I had to go through this area at night time, I may stick to the old Chandra Nagar-Palakkad Town-Ottapalam-Kolapulli route. The roads are much better there, and perhaps may have less traffic.

[sansvk]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

At Walayar, lane towards Palakkad gets blocked due to trucks parking so take opposite lane as we used to do during earlier days (Now its four lane, be careful!)
.

2lane or 4 lane there is no difference at Walayar check post. Experienced lots of incoming traffic while returning to BLR this morning.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Driving in the night, I feel the Chandra Nagar-Vadakkanchery-Kuthiran-Mannuthi route may be a bit dicey. Because of the uneven road surfaces etc. I am not very comfortable in night driving, but if I had to go through this area at night time, I may stick to the old Chandra Nagar-Palakkad Town-Ottapalam-Kolapulli route. The roads are much better there, and perhaps may have less traffic.

Agree with the above suggestion, I did Thrissur - Palakkad after 11pm on Saturday, traffic was sparse and roads are decent to maintain 60-80kmph.