[bvenkysubbu]

Dear Team-BHPians ,

Long time since this thread has been updated. Can anyone input recent road conditions? I am particularly interested in the Salem - Yercaud route that contains many hairpin bends.

Thanks,
Venkat

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by bvenkysubbu

Dear Team-BHPians ,

Long time since this thread has been updated. Can anyone input recent road conditions? I am particularly interested in the Salem - Yercaud route that contains many hairpin bends.

Thanks,
Venkat

Venkat, you need to drive down to Salem (NH7) and from Salem you have 2 options. Take the usual Salem-Yercaud route (32 Kms). Another would be Salem-Ayodhyapattinam-Kuppanur-Yercaud (45 Kms Approx). The later would be more scenic than the first. But, the usual route would be very good.

[ampere]

@Ramesh,

I just noticed that the alternate route you suggested is the one which also leads to Harur.
(SH branching off from NH68 is the Harur SH. The Yercaud branch off is at Kuppanur).

Any idea how is the SH all the way till Harur?

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

@Ramesh,

I just noticed that the alternate route you suggested is the one which also leads to Harur.
(SH branching off from NH68 is the Harur SH. The Yercaud branch off is at Kuppanur).

Any idea how is the SH all the way till Harur?

Yes. You are right that the route will lead to Harur. I haven't taken this route recently and have no idea of the condition but heard that the condition is horrible.

[bvenkysubbu]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Yes. You are right that the route will lead to Harur. I haven't taken this route recently and have no idea of the condition but heard that the condition is horrible.

Thanks ramesh. I guess I will take the usual route. I saw on another thread that there are around 20 hairpin bends on that route. I have just a decent experience in my car driving (4000 kms city and highways). Any advice for driving in this route?

Thanks,
Venkat

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by bvenkysubbu

Thanks ramesh. I guess I will take the usual route. I saw on another thread that there are around 20 hairpin bends on that route. I have just a decent experience in my car driving (4000 kms city and highways). Any advice for driving in this route?

Thanks,
Venkat

Yes Venkat. There would be 20 hairpins on the usual route. But, nothing to worry about the road condition. It would be wide enough on the hairpins. Since you have just started driving, I recommend you stick with the usual route itself. The other route which I suggested would be bit narrow at some stretches. I personally like the Kuppanur option because it is scenic

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Venkat, you need to drive down to Salem (NH7) and from Salem you have 2 options. Take the usual Salem-Yercaud route (32 Kms). Another would be Salem-Ayodhyapattinam-Kuppanur-Yercaud (45 Kms Approx). The later would be more scenic than the first. But, the usual route would be very good.

Ramesh, If you had posted this a couple of weeks earlier, I would have been elated. I went to Yercaud a couple of weeks back and I took the regular Salem-Yercaud ghat road. If I had known there was an alternative, I would have taken it. I never knew that another route existed to Yercaud. Btw, how is the road condition on this route?

EDIT: I see another route in Google maps now. Yercaud to Kanavaipudur. Any idea how good this road is?

[Lightening-Fast]

Yeah same here. never thought there were 2 routes from Salem to Yercaud. Did this stretch a year ago and i dont think the road conditions change much. Except for Hosur where roads seem to have gone slighty bad.

[ampere]

If you take the full roundabout by-pass of Salem you will (after crossing the Madurai exit) land at the construction which leads all the way till the by-pass meets the Attur road (NH68).
There is an IOC bunk at the junction. Another landmark is the GM service center on the right after you turn right on the Attur road.

I looked at Google map and calculated that the exit about 3 km. Once on SH, there is one more fork when taking left leads to Kuppanur (where one needs to detour to climb the Yercaud ghats) and subsequently to Harur.

NH 7 to SH 18 - Google Maps


Meanwhile I also notice that if you take right on that fork, you go through sections, there seems to be a route which goes and hits the Tiruvannamalai-Dharmapuri SH. Has anyone tried that?


NH 7 to SH 6 - Google Maps


The route goes a town called Belur which can also be accessed from Vazhapadi on the NH68.


Ramesh mentioned that the Harur road is bad. How about this other option. Seems like a shorter route to Tiruvannamalai.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Ramesh, If you had posted this a couple of weeks earlier, I would have been elated. I went to Yercaud a couple of weeks back and I took the regular Salem-Yercaud ghat road. If I had known there was an alternative, I would have taken it. I never knew that another route existed to Yercaud. Btw, how is the road condition on this route?

EDIT: I see another route in Google maps now. Yercaud to Kanavaipudur. Any idea how good this road is?

Actually, there are 3 different routes.
1. Regular Salem-Yercaud route
2. Salem-Kuppanur-Yercaud route.
3. Kanavaipudur-Yercaud route.

I have never tried the third option and don't know about the condition of the road as well. It is less know route and is used very rarely. I may try this out some day

Originally Posted by ampere

If you take the full roundabout by-pass of Salem you will (after crossing the Madurai exit) land at the construction which leads all the way till the by-pass meets the Attur road (NH68).
There is an IOC bunk at the junction. Another landmark is the GM service center on the right after you turn right on the Attur road.

I looked at Google map and calculated that the exit about 3 km. Once on SH, there is one more fork when taking left leads to Kuppanur (where one needs to detour to climb the Yercaud ghats) and subsequently to Harur.

NH 7 to SH 18 - Google Maps


Meanwhile I also notice that if you take right on that fork, you go through sections, there seems to be a route which goes and hits the Tiruvannamalai-Dharmapuri SH. Has anyone tried that?


NH 7 to SH 6 - Google Maps


The route goes a town called Belur which can also be accessed from Vazhapadi on the NH68.


Ramesh mentioned that the Harur road is bad. How about this other option. Seems like a shorter route to Tiruvannamalai.

Amp, Salem-Harur is one of the busy section. If this is bad, we cannot expect the Belur route to be good. Again, I don't want to make a judgement without any information on that stretch. One information I would like to add is that this Belur-Kottapatti route will have lot of ghat section. It may not be the quickest to reach Tiruvannamalai.

[ampere]

I was not aware that Salem-Harur is quite busy. I just looked at the new route in Google maps and was thrilled to find this new route, (as it went through ghat sections).
So, just wanted more about it.

[rameshnanda]

Most of the buses take this route (Salem-Harur) for Thirupattur, Vellore, Thirupathi from Salem. It is bit busy but still highly neglected.

I will try to find about the road condition (Salem-Belur-Kottapatti) from some of my friends in Salem

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Most of the buses take this route (Salem-Harur) for Thirupattur, Vellore, Thirupathi from Salem. It is bit busy but still highly neglected.

That is a good. State Transport buses, plying during day times, may not Main highways, which have by-passes. It would be painful for them to go into the city, come out and take the 4L once again.

They would prefer to take these small roads. And obviously, the towns also need to be serviced by the bus facilities.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

That is a good. State Transport buses, plying during day times, may not Main highways, which have by-passes. It would be painful for them to go into the city, come out and take the 4L once again.

They would prefer to take these small roads. And obviously, the towns also need to be serviced by the bus facilities.

Amp, if the new route that you have explored is good/decent then I will have another alternate route to reach Salem from Chennai. Tambaram-Tindivanam-Thiruvannamalai-Belur-Salem works out at 301 Kms .

[ampere]

I have explored it only in Google Maps!
Some one needs to do for real!