[ravib]

Originally Posted by ampere

Since you are driving 500+ it's definitely a better option to stick to 4-lane. Also you get better options for food.

Point to note: Ulundurpet-Salem: Has many places where 4-lane goes to lane and you won't realise. Please exercise caution (esp when stuck behind a truck).

Originally Posted by narayans80

Yes the bypasses are 2-laned and there are 2 to 4 lane switchbacks and vice versa. But this is no Hubli-Dharwad or CBE L&T bypass to be worked up about. For the starting time, traffic is easy going even on a weekend. He is driving on a Tuesday morning.

Crossing Salem and CBE bypass would be the task.

Originally Posted by ampere

Problem is not the time or hassle but safety in my opinion. The roads are good and the switch happens suddenly. Vehicles are fast and notice this late. Just need to watch out.

I was about to type exact same thing that ampere mentioned.
From a safety point of view more importantly and also from toll paid, Ulundurpet -Attur-salem is not that great (not about roads), but risky. Its hard to recognize for few seconds that the 4L road ended suddenly and we are in 2L even with 80 kmph speed. Also, they have smartly kept the tolls only when there is 4L and in next few kms, it switches back to 2L. Moreover, two wheelers are a problem. Beyond ulundurpet, the only good stopover is Attur A2B and then to Salem.


-Ravi

[@PKS]

I'm planning a family trip from Chennai to Pollachi, Valparai next week. This thread has all the route information required. However, I would like to know if anything changed in the last 18 months to suggest a better route.

It is a 4 day trip, starting 20/5 Monday morning at about 5 AM, and returning by 23/5 late evening.

The plan is:
- Monday: drive to Pollachi and stay in Thiruchitrambalam Palace Resort
- Tuesday: drive to Valparai, sightseeing, stay in Waterfall Valley View
- Wednesday: drive to Topslip or Valparai sightseeing, come back to stay in Waterfall Valley View
- Thursday: return to Chennai

Google Maps shows three possible routes:
Route 1: GST Road - Perambalur - Tiruchirapalli - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalaipettai - Pollachi
Route 2: GST Road - Ulundurpettai - Salem - Bhavani - Perundurai - Avinashi - Coimbatore - Pollachi
Route 3: GST Road - Perambalur - Karur - Thuraiyur - Kulithalai - Aravakuruchi - Dharapuram - Pollachi

Another route could be Vellore - Krishnagiri - Salem - rest of Route 2. My starting point is near Vanagaram, 5 min away from Maduravoyal grade separator. So, it is easier for me to hit the Chennai Bypass and reach GST road quickly than to take the Vellore - Krishnagiri route.

Question 1: This and other threads on this topic are suggesting that Route 2 is better than other two. Is it still the better one or route 1 has gotten better (assuming NH 83 4-laning is done)?

Question 2: In Route 2, after Avinashi, is Palladam-Pollachi good or Coimbatore-Kinathukadavu-Pollachi route is better?

Any help to plan the route is appreciated.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by @PKS

Google Maps shows three possible routes:
Route 1: GST Road - Perambalur - Tiruchirapalli - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalaipettai - Pollachi

I would now suggest this quoted option. Traffic till Trichy you need to manage. But beyond it thins out.

And the best part: Dindigul-Pollachi (via Palani/Udumalpet) is 4-lane! Udumalpet bypass I am not sure if its complete. But the rest I think is. I recently drove via Oddanchatram to Palani. It was brilliant! And since its not an arterial route, not much traffic either.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by ampere

I would now suggest this quoted option. Traffic till Trichy you need to manage. But beyond it thins out.

And the best part: Dindigul-Pollachi (via Palani/Udumalpet) is 4-lane! Udumalpet bypass I am not sure if its complete. But the rest I think is. I recently drove via Oddanchatram to Palani. It was brilliant! And since its not an arterial route, not much traffic either.

+1

Completely agree. Its an excellent road to drive with spare traffic.
Dindigul to Ottanchatram still some minor deviations and work happening with bit of traffic, but beyond that, it is awesome 4L road, so better take that.

Originally Posted by @PKS

Google Maps shows three possible routes:
Route 1: GST Road - Perambalur - Tiruchirapalli - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalaipettai - Pollachi
Route 2: GST Road - Ulundurpettai - Salem - Bhavani - Perundurai - Avinashi - Coimbatore - Pollachi
Route 3: GST Road - Perambalur - Karur - Thuraiyur - Kulithalai - Aravakuruchi - Dharapuram - Pollachi

Question 1: This and other threads on this topic are suggesting that Route 2 is better than other two. Is it still the better one or route 1 has gotten better (assuming NH 83 4-laning is done)?

Question 2: In Route 2, after Avinashi, is Palladam-Pollachi good or Coimbatore-Kinathukadavu-Pollachi route is better?

Any help to plan the route is appreciated.

Don't take Palladam route , as it is very slow in terms of time, though scenic.
Coimbatore bypass-Pollachi is also good, but longer in distance and not really required for you to go that way. You are better off to take Dindigul route.

-Ravi

[@PKS]

Thank you, ampere and Ravi. Route is settled - Route-1. I believe return could also be the same route.

Regarding food options, for breakfast, there are couple of good restaurants right after Senguruchi toll plaza in Ulundurpet. For lunch I was looking for a decent place around Oddanchatram byepass. I find couple of restaurants - Apoorva Hotel and VLV Food Nation. Is there anything else, better than these, that I may have missed?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by @PKS

Regarding food options, for breakfast, there are couple of good restaurants right after Senguruchi toll plaza in Ulundurpet. For lunch I was looking for a decent place around Oddanchatram byepass. I find couple of restaurants - Apoorva Hotel and VLV Food Nation. Is there anything else, better than these, that I may have missed?

This 4-lane is new. So I dont know much about what to find. One option is drive 5km into Palani town to find a place.

[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by @PKS

Thank you, ampere and Ravi. Route is settled - Route-1. I believe return could also be the same route.

Regarding food options, for breakfast, there are couple of good restaurants right after Senguruchi toll plaza in Ulundurpet. For lunch I was looking for a decent place around Oddanchatram byepass. I find couple of restaurants - Apoorva Hotel and VLV Food Nation. Is there anything else, better than these, that I may have missed?

Apoorva was okay, it is like a food court with a couple of options. Stopped for dinner there last August returning from Valparai. They have outer seating and also a small inner seating area in the back with AC, it was not very clean but good enough. The food was quite tasty.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by ampere

I would now suggest this quoted option. Traffic till Trichy you need to manage. But beyond it thins out.

And the best part: Dindigul-Pollachi (via Palani/Udumalpet) is 4-lane! Udumalpet bypass I am not sure if its complete. But the rest I think is. I recently drove via Oddanchatram to Palani. It was brilliant! And since its not an arterial route, not much traffic either.

With the Trichy Junction flyover now it is easier to connect to Dindigul road from Palpannai side. On both occasions Thursday morning and Sunday afternoon breezed through the city without any issues.

[RGK]

I decided to come to Chennai via the Perambalur road after a long time. Vivegam Travels used this route a few times, and I was intrigued to follow suit.

The road is good from Musiri to Thuraiyur, but it gets better till Perambalur (for comparison, the Omalur-Edapadi or Ulundurpet-Vriddhachalam section).

To get to Udumalpet, Munnar, or Pollachi, it is now preferable to travel via Tindivanam - Villupuram - Ulundurpet - Perambalur - Thuraiyur - Kulithalai - Karur - Dharapuram. Time is saved by taking this route, and all of the towns offer good bye passes. This seems to be the quickest way to get from Chennai to Munnar, Pollachi, or Udumalai.

As a reminder, to go to Karur, turn left into the Kulithalai bye pass road after crossing the Musiri Kaveri bridge, and vice versa. I have included a reference photo. The connection road (marked in red) is an official road as it is fully built.

At the end of Karur Bye Pass, there are two routes to Dharapuram: a road that leads to the Coimbatore road on the right, and a road that leads to Aravakurichi on the left. Aravakurichi road is the preferable option because some pipe laying work has already been finished and some road relaying is still pending on the Karur - Chinna Dharapuram stretch.