[Rajeevraj]

Any recent updates on conditions of the following roads.

Valanchery -koppam-pattambi

Kuttippuram - kumbidi- trithala- pattambi.

My last trip on these sections was around a year back.

[binand]

Had gone to Kerala this weekend. Since I got a new dashcam I recorded the entire Kuthiran route (30 km, about 45 minutes), available here:

https://youtu.be/rUYtUvXY6uY

On return thought I'll take the Shoranur route, but (a) heavy overnight rains on Saturday night meant there were several trees fallen on the road, and (b) kinda lost way and had to rely on Google Maps near Palakkad.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Kuttippuram - kumbidi- trithala- pattambi.

I had driven on this stretch in April.
Kuttipuram-Kumbidi-Thrithala first few Kms had lot of potholes. Condition improved after that and was very good as you approach Thrithala.
Thrithala- Pattambi stretch was in good condition.

[bbhavan]

Friends,
Any update on Cochin-Tvm route?
Should I take NH or MC road?
Or NH till Alleppey , then to Changanassery and continue via MC road, as shown as an option in Google maps?
I intend to leave at 6am tomorrow.

[ontheroad]

Originally Posted by bbhavan

Friends,
Any update on Cochin-Tvm route?
Should I take NH or MC road?
Or NH till Alleppey , then to Changanassery and continue via MC road, as shown as an option in Google maps?
I intend to leave at 6am tomorrow.

Avoid MC road. Roads in Alleppy/Kayamkulam are bad, when I passed through it two weeks back. Try NH itself and if going to Kazhakottom, try EKM-Kayamkulam-Adoor-Venjaramoodu-Pothencode-Kazhakootom/Sreekaryam route. You can save about 30 minutes in this routes as you can avoid traffic blocks in Karunagapally, Kollam and Attingal.

[Rajeevraj]

Did a Bangalore-Calicut-Tirur-Bangalore trip over the last few days. To Calicut was via the regular Mysore-Gundlepet-Bathery-Calicut. Return from Tirur was via Nilambur-Gudalur-Mysore. Some small observations.

• Mysore-Nanjangud work is still in progress, but is a mostly hassle free drive. From the Mysore Outer Ring Road intersection (left ring from Columbia Asia), only 3-4 small deviations remain till Nanjangud. The 2 bigger ones are the 2 bridges-One of which should open in the next few days and the other big one at Nanjangud which still has work pending.
  
• Overall, with the left ring of Mysore Ring Road and the 4 laning of Mysore-Nanjangud, the time taken from Columbia Asia Signal to Gundlepet has reduced to around 1 hour. Expect to reduce a further 10min once work is fully complete.
  
• No major surprises rest of the way to Calicut. Smooth roads throughout. Only point of worry is that small potholes have again started appearing in the hairpin 9 and 8 of the Wayanad Ghat. This is in spite of major repair done with great fanfare in December.
  
• Monsoon seems to have started taking a toll on roads in Malappuram Dt. Although still 95% great, random bad patches and pot holes have started appearing.
  
• On the return from Tirur, was confused between taking the Nilambur Route or the longer but slightly faster Palakkad Salem Route (which has been my preference during the times when the Gudalur Theppakadu Stretch was in very bad condition). But since the stretch had been repaired and was said to be in great condition, decided to take it and was a good decision. Perfect roads and brilliant weather. A small video clip of the Nadugani Ghats and the now pristine Mudumalai forest stretch.
  
• Mysore road has lost a lot of humps and is much more predictable. Will post details about that in the relevant thread

Video of the Nadugani Ghat (Apologies for the reduced quality)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxnOsRci4ms

Near Theppakadu



This was from the 'to' trip. Gundlepet and its surroundings bathed in a sea of yellow-Sunflowers in full bloom

[binand]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

On the return from Tirur decided to take (the Nilambur Route) and was a good decision. Perfect roads and brilliant weather.

Last time I went that way, there were terrible potholes in the stretch between the KL-TN border on the churam and the toll point near Nadugani junction. Have these been filled/repaired now?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by binand

Last time I went that way, there were terrible potholes in the stretch between the KL-TN border on the churam and the toll point near Nadugani junction. Have these been filled/repaired now?

Yes. Has been fully relaid and marked also. The stretch from the check-post to Gudalur has the occasional potholes.

On the downside, this ghat seems to induce motion sickness even in people normally not too prone to it.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

On the downside, this ghat seems to induce motion sickness even in people normally not too prone to it.

That's right. Various family members who have been passengers with me have had issues on both Nadugani and Kuttiyadi churams. So I take these routes only if I am alone. These two are exceptionally twisty roads, whereas Thamarassery churam has a fixed number of hair-pin bends that you take very slowly and then long reasonably straight stretches in between.

[blorebuddy]

Has anyone taken Theni - Cumbam - Pala Route? How is the road condition?

[tharian]

Did Blore to Thrissur yesterday.

Must say say a lot of improvement between Coimbatore and Thrissur which made the journey faster. Except for Kuthiraan where traffic was slow and qued up, rest of the journey was fast.

The last time I did this trip two years ago, I felt the distance, this time was much quicker.

[gopa99]

I was wondering that the Coimbatore to Palakkad stretch has so many tolls now, is it some form of cheating or double taxing? Here is the list I had to pay (one way starting from Kaniyur Plaza)
1. Time: 5.08 PM: Chengapalli to Neelambur: Rs 85
2. Time: 5.24 PM: Neelambur : Rs 31
3. Time: 5.30 PM: Coimbatore (Trichy Salem Plaza): Rs 11
4. Time: 5.34 PM: Coimbatore (Trichy Cochin Plaza): Rs 31

Any body has a opinion here?

Moreover the roads are full of pot holes with no safety lighting or retro reflective illumination, apart from being congested, one wonders what for the toll is being collected.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by gopa99

2. Time: 5.24 PM: Neelambur : Rs 31
3. Time: 5.30 PM: Coimbatore (Trichy Salem Plaza): Rs 11
4. Time: 5.34 PM: Coimbatore (Trichy Cochin Plaza): Rs 31

Any body has a opinion here?

The first toll you paid (Rs. 31 ) is for the entire stretch. Did you have to pay subsequently? (11 and 31) You just need to show the first receipt to the remaining toll booth operators. Or has it changed now ??

I agree that this stretch is a pain during peak hours, with lot of traffic and no staff at the toll plaza to open additional lanes. Arguments are common and I was stuck on many occasions.

[gopa99]

ya, there were 2 other toll booths in this same stretch, were they accepted by earlier receipts. But this one, I had to pay.

[smrtdvl]

The ₹31 toll you pay at neelambur (avinashi road) holds good until you exit at madukkarai (palghat road).

You can buy ₹11 toll if you enter at neelambur and exit at ondipudur (Trichy road) and vice versa. This was done to decongest traffic in Avinashi road.

Hope this helps.