[Spitfire]

YouTube - 04032011

This is the type of traffic I encountered along the Mollem to Usgao-Tisk road of Nh4A inside Goa border.

This continued for more then 15 kms and was a real pain. I took an hour to cross this section.

Low slung cars had a issue getting off the high shoulder and I remember the underneaths of a Civic being scrapped rather badly at one such point. For such cars its better to hold your ground and make the mining truck drivers get off the shoulder.

I was driving a Bolero so was comparatively better off.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

YES!!! SURPRISINGLY.... after a decade.

I saw some road building machinery being carried towards that road while passing from Londa. I stopped and inquired and wonder of wonders one of the guys said they are going in for that road. I assume its presently only a repair that is going to happen and then they let the monsoons make merry on that road. Hopefully after the monsoons we see more work happening.

Rest assured I am tracking this as much as I can. If they sort it out its the shortest route home(Goa) for me coming from Bangalore.

Received this report from my Correspondent in Belgaum.

Courtesy: Herald, Goa

HERALD CORRESPONDENT
BELGAUM, MARCH 16
Work on the dilapidated Panjim-Ramnagar-Alnawar-Dharwar road that commenced since a couple of days ago is being carried out on a war footing.
However, commuters might have to wait a little longer as the work along the route has been delayed due to delayed clearance from the forest department.
Thousands of commuters will now breathe easy as the shortest road to reach Hubli-Dharwad that had become entirely unmotorable since several years, will soon be available for the people of Goa and Londa area.
The work on the 60-km road, which is one of the important links between Karnataka and Goa, is being carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 230 crore. The road will be 15 mtrs wide and have five major bridges including several culverts.
The 60-km road between Dharwad Cross and Ramnagar had totally deteriorated due to the heavy movement of the overloaded mining trucks. People from the area had put up a strong and sustained agitation demanding immediate repair and reconstruction of the road.
The authorities who had turned a blind eye to this road used to only carry out the temporary patch work, which could not hold the heavy movement of the mining trucks, damaging the road again.
Being constructed on a public-private partnership, the contribution from the Centre and State is 20 per cent each while the remaining 60 per cent is being contributed by the contractor who will be operating the road on BOT basis.
Apart from several villages in Khanapur and Dharwad taluka which lie on the either side of the road, commuters from Goa reaching Dharwad were the worst sufferers all these years.
To reach Dharwad, commuters from Goa had to either go via Khanapur-Yellapur highway or via Belgaum, travelling about 70-80 kms of extra distance.

- END -

Let's hope this road is completed in quick time, as I could well use this route during our proposed trip to Pondicherry later this year in our I10.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Let's hope this road is completed in quick time, as I could well use this route during our proposed trip to Pondicherry later this year in our I10.

Those have been my prayers for the last 7+ years. I would not be sure this road will be completed by the end of this years.Your report talks about 5 major bridges.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

This is the type of traffic I encountered along the Mollem to Usgao-Tisk road of Nh4A inside Goa border.

I have a ditto video from my drive back in March 2010 (a year back) - I believe this is not the situation throughout the day and you have to be unlucky enough to be caught in the barrage of mining trucks when the convoy emerges from its lair and the mayhem lasts for a couple of hours

Originally Posted by misquitas

Let's hope this road is completed in quick time, as I could well use this route during our proposed trip to Pondicherry later this year in our I10.

Amen to that!! Any projected completion timelines mentioned?

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Received this report from my Correspondent in Belgaum.

Courtesy: Herald, Goa

The 60-km road between Dharwad Cross and Ramnagar had totally deteriorated due to the heavy movement of the overloaded mining trucks. .

There are stories of crores of tax payers money going down the drain in NH construction - because the mining lorry drivers have political clout and threaten NH workers then ply on the work-in-progress roads damaging them before the road surface has set in. I forget the stretch that was affected thus. Will this road repair and the crores spent go down the drain likewise? The overloading is going to continue after road repairs, damaging them quickly again.

Thus we taxpayers are paying for the profits of these mining companies and suffering bad roads in return. The beneficiaries of this profitable scheme of things will no doubt go around in cars and SUVs costing upwards of 20 lacs, while the less well-off public will scrape our poor cars over these roads.

--Ragul

[bkishore_77]

Hi,

I'm planning for the Goa trip on Apr6th and the destination is Taj-Fort-Aguada-Beach-Resort-Sinquerim, North Goa. There is no dearth of info on the different route options to Goa in this thread but my specific query is, which route makes more sense to reach the destination within 10 hours.

The general opinion in the forum is to take the Hubli-Yellapur-Karwar route for South Goa and Hubli-belgaum-NH4a-Panji route for north goa.Though I'm inclined to take the Karwar route, i.e enter the Goa from south, what is the distance I would have to travel through Goa to reach North Goa and will this reduce my speed.

Could someone conclusively suggest which option is better. I prefer the option where the percentage of good road is higher even if it is bit longer so that we can maintain good speed.

Thanks in advance
Kishore

[ravibhat]

My suggestion: while going to Goa take this route: Bangalore-Chitradurga-Haveri-Sirsi-Devimane ghat(watch out for only 1-2 km bad stretches)-Mirjan-nh17-karwar-goa. While returning take Amboli-belgaum route. Both are in good condition.

My uncle in i10 last month left Bangalore at 5:30am and reached Sirsi (400km) at 11:30pm and he is 56 years old don't drive too fast. From Sirsi roads are good and you will love the scenary. If you want to have VEG. food in Sirsi ping me I can send you few details about it. If you want to have VEG food at Ankola visit Sapna Hotel which is 200mtrs inside left side of nh17.

Regards,

Ravi.

[ampere]

Ankola also has Kamat on the highway.
That is also is a very good option.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by Ragul

The beneficiaries of this profitable scheme of things will no doubt go around in cars and SUVs costing upwards of 20 lacs, while the less well-off public will scrape our poor cars over these roads.

The road that is being 2 laned does not see mining truck traffic. That road went bad purely due to heavy rain and neglect from the authorities.

And more importantly there was a strong political reason not to mend that road. But that is beside the point.

The road that you might have seen gone bad would be the Anmod Londa road and it again suffered due to neglect of the Karnataka government.

Years back I remember the bus suddenly going from stormy waters to calm inbetween my sleep sometime around dawn. That was an indicator that we have crossed over to the Goa border.

Originally Posted by bkishore_77

which route makes more sense to reach the destination within 10 hours.

Driving at 90-100 kmph in my Bolero with shorter stops, I took 11 hours to reach Panaji from Marathahalli. This was through Kittur route. And also includes the time spend in the mining truck jam.

Along Karwar route it is about 80 kms+ to my distance. I would recommend you dont worry too much about the 10 hours limit and have a leisure and safe drive instead.

Someone long back said, better be late then never.

Having said that it is possible to get to Goa in 10 hours. I have done the same route in 8 hours and odd minutes in my Bolero. It was an emergency though and I was driving alone.

Driving through Goa depending upon timing is easier. The road from Karwar all the way to Panaji is quite good (read can maintain good speeds).

Late night after 2000 hours or early morning before 0800 hours is mostly very less traffic time. Then in the afternoon, most goans have their siesta around 1300 to 1600 hours

Could someone conclusively suggest which option is better. I prefer the option where the percentage of good road is higher even if it is bit longer so that we can maintain good speed.

Karwar route. And please drive within sane speeds. Saving a couple of hours really does not matter. try and leave early instead.

[bkishore_77]

Originally Posted by ravibhat

My suggestion: while going to Goa take this route: Bangalore-Chitradurga-Haveri-Sirsi-Devimane ghat(watch out for only 1-2 km bad stretches)-Mirjan-nh17-karwar-goa. While returning take Amboli-belgaum route.
. If you want to have VEG. food in Sirsi ping me I can send you few details about it. If you want to have VEG food at Ankola visit Sapna Hotel which is 200mtrs inside left side of nh17.
Ravi.

Originally Posted by ampere

Ankola also has Kamat on the highway.
That is also is a very good option.

Thank you Ravi and Ampere, I read in some of the post made here that few stretches are quite bad in this route. Probably that was right after monsoon season. Is this a shorter route than the other two options I mentioned. ok I'll keep this option open.

Yes. we are veggie so please let us know the options en route . If we start at around 5 Am, and planning to have breakfast at around 9 and lunch around 1-2 what are the options. (keeping in mind the max speed we are comfortable in safari is 110-120Kmph).

In the return journey, we are planning to come via Mangalore with a stopover at my place in Suratkal. Ravi, I guess you are well informed on the conditions of the road on this NH17 stretch from goa to Mangalore. Could you please shed some light here?

[bkishore_77]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Driving at 90-100 kmph in my Bolero with shorter stops, I took 11 hours to reach Panaji from Marathahalli. This was through Kittur route. And also includes the time spend in the mining truck jam.

Along Karwar route it is about 80 kms+ to my distance.

Having said that it is possible to get to Goa in 10 hours. I have done the same route in 8 hours and odd minutes in my Bolero. It was an emergency though and I was driving alone.

Driving through Goa depending upon timing is easier. The road from Karwar all the way to Panaji is quite good (read can maintain good speeds).

Late night after 2000 hours or early morning before 0800 hours is mostly very less traffic time.

Thanks Spitfire for that info. That is a pretty big difference of 3 hours from a speed of 80-90Kmph to 1xxKmph

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Then in the afternoon, most goans have their siesta around 1300 to 1600 hours

This info is helpful coz if we start at around 5Am, this siesta time of the Goans will coincide with our entry time to Goa.

Slightly OT..

Originally Posted by Spitfire

I would recommend you dont worry too much about the 10 hours limit and have a leisure and safe drive instead.

Someone long back said, better be late then never.

please drive within sane speeds. Saving a couple of hours really does not matter. try and leave early instead.

Appreciate your concern Spitfire. Thanks. When I meant good speed, I in no way meant reckless driving. For me good speed is when I'm doing steady 100~ 120 with good concentration and purposeful driving.

When the speed reduces to say 80Kmph, you feel you have more time for everything and complacency creeps in. Mind/sight starts wandering and the alertness level also goes for a toss. This is from my experience.

Well we can continue our discussion in other threads like "concentration lapse ------ "thread or some other threads.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by bkishore_77

In the return journey, we are planning to come via Mangalore with a stopover at my place in Suratkal. Ravi, I guess you are well informed on the conditions of the road on this NH17 stretch from goa to Mangalore. Could you please shed some light here?

Karwar to Surathkal would take you about 7hours.Roads are very good till Bhatkal.From thereon starts the problems.And after Kundapur,there is literally no roads and the express buses between kollur and mangalore compound the problem.

Kamat at Ankola is a good place,there is also a Kamat at Honnavar at the junction where the Shimoga road joins NH17.Apart from that there is a CCD at Udupi.No other options,unless you want to splurge in Turtle Bay,Marvanthe!

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by bkishore_77

Thanks Spitfire for that info. That is a pretty big difference of 3 hours from a speed of 80-90Kmph to 1xxKmph

Non-Stop and I started at 0200 from Bangalore. I was alone.

Another thing, in the night its not really easy to make out the depth of the potholes on the road. So I didn't care (maintained a good speed) and thankfully for me neither did the Bolero

Also the road has got much better now. Haveri, Rannebennur bypasses are open and the one stretch of really horrible road around this area has ben repaired.

Oh and if you meant the 80-90 to 100 kmph speed increase. Blame the GPS equipped N8

[bkishore_77]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Karwar to Surathkal would take you about 7hours.Roads are very good till Bhatkal.From thereon starts the problems.And after Kundapur,there is literally no roads

Thanks Ranjit. I though this was the case post monsoon and was hoping it would be better now.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Oh and if you meant the 80-90 to 100 kmph speed increase. Blame the GPS equipped N8

I agree it has to be 100 Kmph . Anything beyond that the feedback from the steering wheel of the bolero will be as if you are floating and that is not confidence inspiring at all. I don't know if that is the case with new VLX storm also.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by bkishore_77

I agree it has to be 100 Kmph .

To be frank at the end of the day when I checked the stats (on the GPS) it showed a max speed of 100 kph to the dot.

I don't flog the Bolero too much. I maintain 80-90 kmph. And no I have the ole peugeot powered IDI engined brute