[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by bijubalan

. How is the Manathavady - Kalpetta section specifically? Is it a pleasure to drive? Scenic?

You actually do not need to touch Manathavady, there are a couple of routes that by-pass Manathavady via Koyileri and join you halfway to Kalpetta.

Link 1

Initial couple of km after you deviate from the kattikulam manathavady road is narrow. You may wonder where it is headed. But it is fine.


Link 2

This one deviates much closer to Manathavady and you will see the board indicating Calicut, wider road and joins up the route above at Koyileri.

Google maps by default will take your through Route 1. Old fashioned sign board navigation will take you via route 2.


The section to Kalpeta has some broken stretches, nothing major. From a scenery wise, typical Wayanad road.

[binand]

Originally Posted by bijubalan

I was more concerned about the bad stretch we have from Mysore to Gundlepet to do in an i10.

I had ended up taking this route in an i10 in July. I regretted it so badly that I quit NH212 at Nanjangud and turned towards T. Narasipura. My travelogue is here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3757179. I don't expect the route to have improved since then given that the widening works is expected to continue for several months.

Originally Posted by bijubalan

How is the Manathavady - Kalpetta section specifically? Is it a pleasure to drive? Scenic?

Well, it is green and lush, which most of Kerala is anyway. If you take the Mananthavady bypass then the stretch Mananthavady-Koyileri-Kaithakkal is a bit uneven (but is only about 6 km if I recall correctly). Once you join the regular Mananthavady-Panamaram-Kalpetta road, it is great all the way (except some potholes in the town centres of Panamaram and Kambalakkadu). Once you join NH 212 at Kainatty near Kalpetta, then the road condition is well-known.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I have not done Manathavady- kuttiyadi, but as per reports, it is narrow in many places and not in great condition too. Not recommended unless your destination is on the kuttiyadi perambra side.

I had done Calicut-Kuttiadi-Mananthavady back in February. Another travelogue, here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3645616. This route is shorter and nicer, but best taken at low-peak hours. My brother took this road on his way to Calicut earlier this month; he reached Kuttiadi at around 5 PM and home in Calicut town at 8:30 PM. It is that bad. Especially the Ullyeri-Atholi-Calicut stretch is way too narrow and heavy on traffic due to the numerous commuter towns of Calicut along this road.

I might be going to Calicut again this Friday (11/9) in the same i10; will update on conditions once I'm back on Sunday. Trip is conditional on my meeting certain work-related deadlines though.

[aravindkumarp]

Originally Posted by binand

I had ended up taking this route in an i10 in July. I regretted it so badly that I quit NH212 at Nanjangud and turned towards T. Narasipura. My travelogue is here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3757179. I don't expect the route to have improved since then given that the widening works is expected to continue for several months.

Travelled Gundulpet-Mysore mid-august, Not too bad actually. Road work going on the Gundulpet-Nanjangud-Mysore stretch. There are 4-5 diversions but it is manageable.

[bijubalan]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

You actually do not need to touch Manathavady, there are a couple of routes that by-pass Manathavady via Koyileri and join you halfway to Kalpetta.

Yes, That makes sense! Will try this route.

Originally Posted by binand

I had ended up taking this route in an i10 in July. I regretted it so badly that I quit NH212 at Nanjangud and turned towards T. Narasipura.

For time being I too will stay away from this route until somebody gives a green signal

Originally Posted by binand

It is that bad. Especially the Ullyeri-Atholi-Calicut stretch is way too narrow and heavy on traffic due to the numerous commuter towns of Calicut along this road.

I might have an advantage here as I am going to Koyilandi and can skip the traffic which you mentioned. Anyways i will be planning the trip so that I reach there during non-peak hours.

Originally Posted by binand

I might be going to Calicut again this Friday (11/9) in the same i10; will update on conditions once I'm back on Sunday. Trip is conditional on my meeting certain work-related deadlines though.

Sure, I also have a plan to go to calicut soon. Will update here once done!

Originally Posted by aravindkumarp

Travelled Gundulpet-Mysore mid-august, Not too bad actually. Road work going on the Gundulpet-Nanjangud-Mysore stretch. There are 4-5 diversions but it is manageable.

Will keep this option off for some more while. My poor i10!

[binand]

Originally Posted by binand

I might be going to Calicut again this Friday (11/9) in the same i10; will update on conditions once I'm back on Sunday.

I did go to Calicut on 11/9 and return on 13/9. Outbound I took Bangalore-Malavally-Bannur-Mysore-Mananthavady-Kalpetta-Calicut and return, the route was Calicut-Kuttiady-Mananthavady-Hampapura-Nanjangud-T. Narasipura-Talakadu-Malavally-Bangalore (!!).

1. The Malavally-Bannur stretch has been completely redone, with a smooth surface and well-marked median and shoulder. Within Bannur town the road is still bad but I did see the equipment and raw material to repair it; so maybe it will all be completed soon enough. Beyond Bannur till Mysore it is still the old road which while is not great, is not bad either. The surprising part is that my end-to-end distance was 20 km lesser this time round.

2. The Calicut bypass extension from Pooladikunnu to Vengalam is apparently nearing completion and will be inaugurated before the year is out. Good news for NH 17 users - the time saved at the single-lane Elathur bridge alone should recover the cost of the road.

3. I wanted to more accurately assess the issues with the Hampapura-Nanjangud link road. The bad stretch is exactly 1.2 km (as per my trip meter). If you can brace that out this is a good way to connect to NH 209 from SH 33. Some repairs have been done on the Purigaali-Malavally stretch, plus the Belakavadi-T. Narasipura road seem to be getting widened.

Anyway, with the Bannur route motorable, that is what I'll be taking from now onwards.

Some photos:


1. View of the Malavally-Bannur stretch (newly repaired)


2. View of the Kuttiady Churam road.


3. After exiting from the forest, on Mananthavady-Mysore Road


4. The bad section of Hampapura-Nanjangud Road. It becomes a bit worse beyond the tree yonder, but the whole bad stretch is only 1.2 km.


Marehalli Kere on Purigaali-Malavally route.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by binand

Outbound I took Bangalore-Malavally-Bannur-Mysore-Mananthavady-Kalpetta-Calicut

Any precise reason for you to do this? Is it because of lesser traffic on the Kanakpura road (when compared to infamous state highway to Mysore)?

Calicut-Kuttiady-Mananthavady-Hampapura-Nanjangud-T. Narasipura-Talakadu-Malavally-Bangalore (!!)

Thanks for this. My understanding is that this route is the "best of both worlds". That is we get the benefits of the good and empty roads of Handpost-Bavali-Kattikulam and also the Kanakpura road towards Bangalore city. Would it be possible for you to plot this route in Google Maps? I was planning to do a pilot study of this route, when I go towards Calicut. Your exploration would help me as well.

[binand]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Any precise reason for you to do this? Is it because of lesser traffic on the Kanakpura road (when compared to infamous state highway to Mysore)?

I generally don't like the Bangalore-Mysore Road (SH 17, now NH 275); so I take it only when I'm travelling with my family AND there is a meal for which we need to rely on a restaurant. In my opinion BM Road is overcrowded, passes through way too many towns, has too many speedbreakers, has a high propensity to create jams and the quality of driving is abysmal.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

That is we get the benefits of the good and empty roads of Handpost-Bavali-Kattikulam and also the Kanakpura road towards Bangalore city.

Here are my routes:

Outbound: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...c.kvPRJX1T1ifI
Return: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...c.kuNHU6386pBk

There is no one absolute best route; you need to choose your route based on your start time, co-passengers, urgency etc. In any case, if you are planning to go via these roads, maybe you should do Malavally-Kiragavalu-Sosale-T. Narasipura and post a report here.

[kala]

Originally Posted by binand

In any case, if you are planning to go via these roads, maybe you should do Malavally-Kiragavalu-Sosale-T. Narasipura and post a report here.

A few months ago there was a bridge (or rather a culvert) under construction on the Sosale-Kiragavalu road that forced you to take a diversion of about 2-3 kms through almost non-existent roads, and there was also more roadwork for approximately 4-5 kms in the same sector. Please check with locals about the current status before getting on to that road. The other alternative is Malavalli-Bannur-Sosale, that route has reasonably good roads also - now that the Bannur-Malavalli roadwork is complete.

[VindyWheels]

Hi,

Did the Clt-Bng route last Sunday. Muthanga-Gundlupet-Chamarajnagar-Kollegal-Malvalli-Kanakpura. The bridge is open as reported earlier, peaceful drive.

Cheers

Vindy

[binand]

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Did the Clt-Bng route last Sunday. Muthanga-Gundlupet-Chamarajnagar-Kollegal-Malvalli-Kanakpura. The bridge is open as reported earlier, peaceful drive.

The status of the bridge is known; I think what most people (including me) would want to know is the progress of, or lack thereof, the works on the Gundlupet-Chamarajanagar stretch.

[kala]

Originally Posted by binand

The status of the bridge is known; I think what most people (including me) would want to know is the progress of, or lack thereof, the works on the Gundlupet-Chamarajanagar stretch.

Is there some work going on in that stretch ? Don't recall noticing anything during my last trip which was 3-4 weeks back.

[binand]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Binand - I want the KML files. How would you be able to send it? Or can you attach it to this thread??

The KMLs are here now. Took me a while to figure out how to remove the PII from these files.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c05wg4fca...QQV8l0yka?dl=0

Originally Posted by kala

Is there some work going on in that stretch ? Don't recall noticing anything during my last trip which was 3-4 weeks back.

Hmm. I thought there was some repair work going on there. Last time I went, they were rebuilding some culverts. Anyway I haven't been on that route since the bridge was closed so I could be mistaken.

[VindyWheels]

Hi Binand,

I did not notice any work either. The bridge is open, the concrete barricades removed and replaced with a big speed breaker at the end of the bridge (while going towards Bng)

The drive was peaceful, road conditions were good. I think the road construction work was in T-Narsipura to Talakad route which I had taken once when the bridge was closed.

Took a break at the new Nijaguna resort opposite CCD in Gundlupet. Decent place. The security told the road till Mysore from Gundlupet is good. Wish there was a good place for break on the Muthanga-Gundlupet stretch.

Cheers

[binand]

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

I did not notice any work either. The bridge is open, the concrete barricades removed and replaced with a big speed breaker at the end of the bridge (while going towards Bng)

I was wondering about the Gundlupet-Chamarajanagar stretch. If there is nothing to report, let us leave it at that. I was under the impression some improvement works is going on that stretch which appears to be not the case.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Took a break at the new Nijaguna resort opposite CCD in Gundlupet. Decent place.

I think you are referring to Misty Rock hotel with a restaurant called DeShell (this is opposite CCD Gundlupet). Nijaguna Resorts is in Chamarajanagar on the road towards Dimbam.