[avasekeh]

One of my friends planning for a road trip to Bangalore - Mangalore - Trivandrum next week.

How are the road conditions? In kerala esp?. I read the traffic on NH17 is frustrating. Any alternate routes that can be suggested?.

[chandras1]

What will be the best route to Sringeri from Bangalore during the monsoons ?
Is the standard route
Bangalore - Kunigal - Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur - Aldur - Balehonnur - Jayapura - Sringeri
still manageable or some other alternate route is preferred ? If the above is not advisable, can someone suggest an alternate route ?

[airguitar]

There were landslides on Charmadi Ghat : Landslide at Charmadi Ghat sparks traffic disruption a week and a half back

and the rivers overflowing at Horanadu during the same weekend :
Rain disrupts normal life [Hubli] | Times of India, The Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET

Any update on the status of these ? Is it still pounding like it was a week back ?

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by chandras1

What will be the best route to Sringeri from Bangalore during the monsoons ?
Is the standard route
Bangalore - Kunigal - Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur - Aldur - Balehonnur - Jayapura - Sringeri
still manageable or some other alternate route is preferred ? If the above is not advisable, can someone suggest an alternate route ?

The Jayapura - Sringeri road was shutdown due to rains a week or so back due to rains per reports ( may perhaps be open now ). The alternate route is Bangalore - Shimoga - Thirthahalli - Sringeri , but atleast 50 kms more. Fauji did the Thirthahalli stretch recently and there seemed no problems. Not aware of the NH13 situ between Thirthahalli and Sringeri via Koppa - usually is a good road.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Yesterday, Amboli-sawantwadi route was closed temporarily due to landslide which happened at the same spot.
The road is opened now.

[chandras1]

Originally Posted by airguitar

The Jayapura - Sringeri road was shutdown due to rains a week or so back due to rains per reports ( may perhaps be open now ). The alternate route is Bangalore - Shimoga - Thirthahalli - Sringeri , but atleast 50 kms more. Fauji did the Thirthahalli stretch recently and there seemed no problems. Not aware of the NH13 situ between Thirthahalli and Sringeri via Koppa - usually is a good road.

Hi,

The link you had posted carries the date Jul 17 2009. Did you post a wrong link ? Any updates on the Bangalore -Sringeri route via Chikmagalur - Aldur welcome.

Edited later. Just found this, per Deccan Herald, many roads in those areas are closed.http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...following.html

Chandra

[airguitar]

My sincere apologies, I pasted the wrong link.

MODS : Please help remove the second link in my previous post as it'd be inaccurate.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by chandras1

Hi,

The link you had posted carries the date Jul 17 2009. Did you post a wrong link ? Any updates on the Bangalore -Sringeri route via Chikmagalur - Aldur welcome.

Edited later. Just found this, per Deccan Herald, many roads in those areas are closed.M’lore-Sringeri road closed following flood

Chandra

I did Mudigere - Kalasa - Sringeri last week and it was absolutely fine and so was Charmadi - we went half distance but we could see Dharmasthala buses comong from oposite direction.

Generally, Chikmagalur - Balehonnur - Sringeri road should not have any problems as there is no river on that road - though you can enjoy Tunga next to you as you drive.

Tirthahalli - Koppa - Sringeri was open and road condition is good.

Suggest just call Shankar Mutt staff in Sringeri and check condition. Here is the link Contact Information | Sringeri Sharada Peetham

[chandras1]

Thanks for the contacts link, sure shall check with the mutt officials before I leave

[Judemayne]

Please update on road conditions to Kodai-going there for Independence. May I request both routes-Palani as well as the Bathlagunda one as planning to use both routes to see more of the Countryside?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Judemayne

Please update on road conditions to Kodai-going there for Independence. May I request both routes-Palani as well as the Bathlagunda one as planning to use both routes to see more of the Countryside?

Both roads are fine, although don;t rule out some rough sections as the rains progress.

[thebluez]

Hi friends

I will be driving down to SouthGoa in 2nd or 3rd week of August. Planning to take NH-4 via Pune-Kolhapur-Belgaum and then NH-4A via Anmod-Mollem. What is the present condition of these roads and how long will it take me to reach Margao by this route from Chembur in Mumbai if I start driving at 3.30am?
Awaiting your early reply friends. Thanks.

[kirantp]

Friends,

I will be driving to Chikmagalur during the long weekend of 1st week of september. It would be great if any of you have travelled recently, can provide me with the latest condition of the roads on the following routes:

1) NH48 - Bangalore - Yadiyur - Channarayanapatna - Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur
2) NH4/NH206 - Bangalore - Tumkur - Tiptur - Arasikere - Chikmagalur

I would also request to provide me the best alternate routes apart from the ones mentioned above.

Cheers,
KTP

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by kirantp

1) NH48 - Bangalore - Yadiyur - Channarayanapatna - Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur

This route is almost a dream drive. If you are returning this route, there is one place 10 kms to Kunigal where 2-lane narrows down to a single lane. Its extremely bumpy around there (its nothing to do with monsoons).

Belur-Chikmagalur has some odd potholes, but nothing serious.
~~~~~
Monsoon road update time

1. NH17 - One word "Terrible"!! The condition is posted here, just extrapolate it from Murudeshwara to Gokarna. The 70 odd km stretch took me 2:15 hrs to cover. Ankola-Gokarna and Murudeshwara-Maravanthe were marginally better.

2. NH63 - Great condition !! few potholes, 3-4 unmarked speed breakers but spottable. Dream drive from Hubli to Ankola.

3. Agumbe ghat - Near lunar surfaces, but given the beauty of the place one shouldnt complain too much. Funny part is that, it rained every place right from the time we crossed Bangalore except at Agumbe and the ghat climb (so much for the built up I gave my wife that it was the Cherrapunji of the south).

4. Sringeri-Jayapura-Balehonnur - Great condition roads to drive the monsoon.

5. Balehonnur-Aldur - Bad!

6. Aldur-Chikmagalur - Terrible, though roads become good about 8-10 km to Chikmagalur.

7. Kollur-Shankaranarayana-Someshwara-Agumbe foothill - Decent, roads are infact great for a few km either side of Someshwara. Roads are bad in patches, but nevertheless the vistas make up for it.

8. Pallikonda-Ranipet - This shouldn't techinically figure here. But the experiences with yesterday evening's rain made me post this. There are patches in this stretch where the rain water just stagnates on either of the road. The stagnation is especially bad near Vellore. I could feel my car aquaplaning at places, had a "heart in mouth" situation passing a Getz. When it rains here, it pours !! Visibility gets affected terribly. Might be a stretch to watch during NE monsoon.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by kirantp

Friends,

I will be driving to Chikmagalur during the long weekend of 1st week of september. It would be great if any of you have travelled recently, can provide me with the latest condition of the roads on the following routes:

1) NH48 - Bangalore - Yadiyur - Channarayanapatna - Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur
2) NH4/NH206 - Bangalore - Tumkur - Tiptur - Arasikere - Chikmagalur

I would also request to provide me the best alternate routes apart from the ones mentioned above.

Cheers,
KTP

We took the NH48 a couple of months back and found it to be fast and in very good condition and plenty of options for eating as well on this route.Hassan-Belur is like a runway!flat and straight and in excellent conditon.CCDs,Kamats and other eateries present on the route.Target for a 5hour drive from Nelamangala to Chikmagalur.