[unoczar]

HYD-BANG-COIMBATORE

road condition update please.

thanks.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by unoczar

HYD-BANG-COIMBATORE

road condition update please.

thanks.

Rains - what rains?
Fantastic roads all then way.
Most of NH7 4-laning between Hyderabad and Bangalore is complete.
NH7-NH47 from Bangalore to Coimbatore is also in great condition, and all but Avinashi-Coimbatore is 4-laned.
If you are an aggressive driver, why not do it the same day non-stop?

[mykal shoemaker]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

These monsoons have been severe on roads even in the most unexpected of places. Some updates:
<snip>


NH47 between Chertala & Kollam (Kochi-Trivandrum highway)
<snip>

I'd a drive through this part ,2 days back.
The stretch between Harippad- Cherthalai is in worst form.
Re-tarring work in progress in many sections.

Kollam--Shengottai--Thenkashi--Madurai stretch is still in good form.

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Rains - what rains?
Fantastic roads all then way.
Most of NH7 4-laning between Hyderabad and Bangalore is complete.
NH7-NH47 from Bangalore to Coimbatore is also in great condition, and all but Avinashi-Coimbatore is 4-laned.
If you are an aggressive driver, why not do it the same day non-stop?

Planning to do the exact same thing. What time you think i should leave? Would like to be in coimbatore at around 9pm. I have a swift and i don't do crazy speeds (>120kph).

Thanks.

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

NH17 south of Chiplun all the way to Sawantwadi through Hathkamba, Rajapur and Kanakavali is in bad condition.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

These monsoons have been severe on roads even in the most unexpected of places. Some updates:

NH17 between Ratnagiri & Sawantwadi (Bombay-Goa)
NH17 between Honavar & Kundapura, especially in Bhatkal region

Originally Posted by hvkumar

After your last report - on how bad NH17 was - no one has dared go on NH17!!!!
But I believe the road continues to be as bad as every, especially in Bhatkal-Kundapura area. NH63 between Hubli and Ankola is as good as ever.

Update -

NH17 doesn't fit to be called a road, let alone a highway - that too a National Highway.

The Kerala portion (Calicut - Mangalore) is updated at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2082144


Mangalore to Ankola is like this -

Up to Udupi - except for some small broken parts, it is mostly OK and could complete it in the usual time of about an hour and ten minutes.


Udupi to Kundapur - there are more broken patches than the road. The bridges are the worst affected, with the approach at either end in shambles.

Think the local people have filled the potholes with rubble / debris, but this is no solution.

And, what happens is the drivers weaving this way and that way to avoid pot holes..... took almost two and a half hours...


Kundapur to Honnavar - easily the worst part of the road. The road really tests your patience and skills.

Some of the potholes are so deep, that the vehicle has no way out except on its belly. God help people with Honda City and other low slung cars.

Instead of trying to speed up on the good patches in between, it is better to stick to 40 - so that when you have to drop down to 10~20 ahead, it won't irritate you.

I seriously was thinking that I should have to taken the alternate route via Chickamagalur / Shimoga / Chitradurga! Again two hours...

Honnavar to Ankola - Still in good shape, except for a few bad patches. Can do decent speeds. Took us about an hour+

Thank god that it didn't rain and there was no water in the pot holes. Had it been so, the story would have been worse.....


Ankola to Hubli - NH63 is excellent. It is slowly becoming my dream road. There was no traffic - and completed the stretch in less than two hours. Could easily maintain 80+. Watch out for speed breakers near Yellapur and Kalhatgi.


Hubli to Belgaum (via bye-pass) - NH4 is excellent. There are no after effects of the rain, and took the usual hour+.


Belgaum to Kolhapur - Still the best portion of NH4. Tawandi ghat and the fast curve are tackled is superb comfort (100+) and running time is less than an hour.


Kolhapur-Satara-Pune - In good shape. However, there are a few potholes in some places; and, the road seems to lost its top, as the ride felt slightly bumpy (had filled 32psi to tackle the bad NH17 and was it because of that?).

Khambatki and Katraj Ghat are a breeze, with the former still retaining its exhilrating descent after the exit from the tunnel.

[hvkumar]

They used to blame the iron ore truckers for the sad state of NH17 every year, but this year truckers were banned during the rainy season, yet NH17 has broken down.

I have been advising all to avoid NH17. A friend who had to go down to the coast recently from Bombay, I advised him to take NH63 from Hubli, turn off at Yellapura and go via Sirsi, Siddapura, Jog, Sagar & Shimoga.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by unoczar

Planning to do the exact same thing. What time you think i should leave? Would like to be in coimbatore at around 9pm. I have a swift and i don't do crazy speeds (>120kph).

Thanks.

Leave as early as possible from Hyderabad by say, at least 5 am.
You can reach Devanahalli (before Bangalore airport) in 8 hours.
From there, take the short cut to Hosur via Whitefield, Sarjapura & Attibele.
From Hosur, you can reach Coimbatore in less than 5-6 hurs.

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Leave as early as possible from Hyderabad by say, at least 5 am.
You can reach Devanahalli (before Bangalore airport) in 8 hours.
From there, take the short cut to Hosur via Whitefield, Sarjapura & Attibele.
From Hosur, you can reach Coimbatore in less than 5-6 hurs.

Thank you.

I think i'll leave by 3-3.30am. Buffer!

and.. I plan to stay at metupalayam, leave car and take the toy train. Your thoughts on this? (hotel, parking, train advance booking etc.)

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by unoczar

Thank you.

I think i'll leave by 3-3.30am. Buffer!

and.. I plan to stay at metupalayam, leave car and take the toy train. Your thoughts on this? (hotel, parking, train advance booking etc.)

All BHPians are welcome to comment on the query above. Thanks.

[gauravdgr8]

Hi Folks,

Planning to go to Sringeri in November in my U-Va. Has anyone travelled the :
" Hyd-Kurnool-Maddikera(nh7 till here)-Guntakal-Bellary-(nh13 from here)-Hospet-Chitradurga-Shimoga-Sringeri" route.

Questions: 1. Has anyone travelled this route and if yes, how is the road condition? How much is the distance?

2. Is there an alternate better/shorter route?

3. If road should be avoided, is there a direct train?

Please guys, help me out?

Gaurav

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by unoczar

Thank you.

I think i'll leave by 3-3.30am. Buffer!

and.. I plan to stay at metupalayam, leave car and take the toy train. Your thoughts on this? (hotel, parking, train advance booking etc.)

Not sure about hotels or parking in Mettupalayam, but you can also park it in Coimbatore, take the early morning Coimbatore-Mettupalayam (Nilgiri Express) t Mettupalayam and then connect with the hill train from there to Ooty.

If it is simply the hill train ride you are looking for, you could even drive up to Ooty/Conoor and take a shorter train journey between Ooty and Connor, or vice versa.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Hi Folks,

Planning to go to Sringeri in November in my U-Va. Has anyone travelled the :
" Hyd-Kurnool-Maddikera(nh7 till here)-Guntakal-Bellary-(nh13 from here)-Hospet-Chitradurga-Shimoga-Sringeri" route.

Questions: 1. Has anyone travelled this route and if yes, how is the road condition? How much is the distance?

2. Is there an alternate better/shorter route?

3. If road should be avoided, is there a direct train?

Please guys, help me out?

Gaurav

Traditionally, the Guntakal-Bellary route has been terrible, it is a better idea to go from Kurnool via Raichur and Sindhanur to Bellary/Hospet. And from there via Harihar & Shimoga to Sringeri. Roads out of Hospet are in a very bad condition, and so is the Honnali-Sringeri road. So you have quite a lot of bad roads which will hopefully get repaired in the coming weeks now that the rains are almost over.

[gauravdgr8]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Traditionally, the Guntakal-Bellary route has been terrible, it is a better idea to go from Kurnool via Raichur and Sindhanur to Bellary/Hospet. And from there via Harihar & Shimoga to Sringeri. Roads out of Hospet are in a very bad condition, and so is the Honnali-Sringeri road. So you have quite a lot of bad roads which will hopefully get repaired in the coming weeks now that the rains are almost over.

Kumar: You have any idea how many km's will that be? When you say that the roads are in a very bad condition, is it advisable to take a flight to mangalore and then drive down to sringeri from there?

[hvkumar]

It is along day's drive from Hyderabad to Sringeri. You can follow how MileCruncher did it recently when he drove from Hyderabad to Manipal/Udupi. A cursory check of teh route profile on Gm reveals that it is 715 kms, which is a real long drive.

Yes, if you had the choice, flying down to Mangalore is a good idea. Road from Mangalore to Sringeri is good, you should not take more than 2-3 hours.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by unoczar

All BHPians are welcome to comment on the query above. Thanks.

As HVK said its good to drive all the way to Ooty. You get lot more options for stay. And also you can take the smaller Ooty-Conoor ride.

On the day you take the train, you can arrange a cab who drops you at ooty station and then also picks you up at Conoor, takes you around Conoor and drops you back at Ooty. In one day you get to do the train and also Conoor sight-seeing.

Please also note that you can do this toy train booking in IRCTC. Please book first class. Its much better.

Second class ride is actually two rupees! So there is lot of crowd for that ticket.