[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by tharian

I would have started earlier around the same time as you if I was alone, but I am travelling with parents, so cannot push them for an earlier departure.

I can understand. I'll be traveling with my wife and two kids of 9 and 1 year. Need to make necessary arrangements for the 1 year old and that's the main challenge for us to keep the timings
If I'm alone, I sometimes start as early as 3am.

Originally Posted by arjithin

Looks like a team bhp meet can be organized tomorrow en route to CLT

Sure. If we meet, don't forget to greet.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Ofcourse yes !!.
A colleague of mine took this route yesterday to CLT and he didnt report any road blocks. I am driving same route starting around 3 PM today, will update if any issues are there.

.

Started at 3:20pm from Whitefield, Gundlupet @ 8.10, Kunnamangalam @ 11.20pm. Dinner break at Muthanga check post.

1.Long queue at NICE road toll road even at 4.20 pm
2. Road widening at Halagaru ( first town after Kanakpura towards Kollegal. 3 JCBs demolishing houses beside main road - lost 10 minutes.
3. 2 humps between Malavalli and Kanakpura, one unmarked and one marked.
4. Ch. Nagara to Gundlupet - many of the culverts are WIP. Total of 3 km road unpaved (multiple stretches). Better to limit your speed at 60kmph to avoid sudden braking.
5. Few of the hairpin bends at Churam road are broken. Couple of surprise potholes between Kalpetta and Vythiri.

[tharian]

Had a nice drive to Calicut this morning.

Left at 530 from home and took half hour to reach Kanakapura Road.
Thankfully traffic wasn't much and reduced even further after Kanakapura and remained as it is till Gundlepet.
Once I hit the highway, I was glad I didn't take the Mysore route. The traffic was high all the way to Calicut. There were slow moving traffic all through the ghats. Encountered a TATA Aria with a Tbhp sticker who seemed to be in a hurry overtaking vehicles when all of them were following each other keeping lane.
Roads were good all the way except for few bits as mentioned by Arjithin.

[kala]

My nephew got a speeding ticket in Wayanad (between Sulthan Batheri and Kalpetta) on Saturday morning around 10 AM for doing 78kmph on NH212. The speed limit on National highways all over Kerala is generally 80, but it seems the limit in Wayanad district has been reduced to 70 due to frequent accidents. (That is what he was told by the cops - I couldn't see any speed limit boards on the highway indicating this when I travelled that way on Friday and today)

So people driving through Wayanad : Please note this change in speed limits.

[arjithin]

Returning to Bangalore on Tuesday afternoon. Plan us to start by 3.30 pm to beat Churam traffic and reach Kanakpura by 10 pm to beat traffic towards Bangalore.

Want to try the Nanjangudu - T Narasipura - Bannur - Malavalli route to avoid driving through the yeriyur area at evening. Any suggestions on road conditions?

[sunith007]

All:

I am travelling from Bangalore (E City) to Vythiri tomorrow morning. Planning to leave home around 6 30 AM.
Being Dusshera, want to avoid the Mysore rush. Google Maps show an alternate route via Kanakapura > Malavalli > T Narsipura > Nanjanagudu > Gundulpet > Bathery > Vythiri

Pls advise if this is a good route. Want to stop somewhere for light breakfast (CCD types maybe) as well.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sunith007

Being Dusshera, want to avoid the Mysore rush. Google Maps show an alternate route via Kanakapura > Malavalli > T Narsipura > Nanjanagudu > Gundulpet > Bathery > Vythiri

Pls advise if this is a good route. Want to stop somewhere for light breakfast (CCD types maybe) as well.

Instead of the T Narsipura-Nanjangud route you can take Bangalore-Kanakapura-Malavalli-Kollegal-Chamarajamagar-Gundlupet-Muthanga-Bathery-Kalpetta-Vythiri route. This avoids Mysore, T Narasipura and Najangud.
You can stop at Nijaguna resorts charajamagar or Nijaguna restaurant or the neighbouring DeShell restaurant at Gundlupet (inside the Hotel Misty Rock campus) which are both opposite a CCD. At Gundlupet, where the Chamarajanagar road merges with the Najangud/Mysore road you will need to turn right and travel about 1 km for these restaurants. However, your route further on to Kerala is in the opposite direction where you need to turn right towards the muthanga forest section.

[sunith007]

Originally Posted by NPV

Instead of the T Narsipura-Nanjangud route you can take Bangalore-Kanakapura-Malavalli-Kollegal-Chamarajamagar-Gundlupet-Muthanga-Bathery-Kalpetta-Vythiri route. This avoids Mysore, T Narasipura and Najangud.

Thanks.How good are the road in this stretch ?

[tharian]

Returned from Calicut today via Mysore.
Traffic was minimal once the forest was cleared all the way to Bangalore. Entering Bangalore and in city traffic was low too.
Avoided entering Mysore and used the ring road although it was longer.

Traffic In Kerala was the same story. Stubborn road users who just wouldn't let you overtake. Two wheelers are the worst lot there which I've noticed on every trip.
Had a close call while climbing the ghats when a bus driver cleared me to overtake when there was a KSRTC coming down. Not sure why he did that.
Roads being good now from the forest entrance to Nanjangud, speeds have increased..I remember the time when that was a desolate stretch, especially between the forest and Gundlepet. Now it's totally transformed. Surprisingly, the locals seem to keep away from the roads too unlike before when there used for bullock carts.
Spotted a bad crash up between Gundlepet and Nanjangud between a Santro and a Ritz. Looks like they hit head on a curve. The cars were being removed when I passed.
Mysore to Bangalore as always was the same story with race drivers, but with not much traffic.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sunith007

Thanks.How good are the road in this stretch ?

Roads are good and the route is the standard one for Bangalore-Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet. There is one small narrow stretch inside kollegal but even the state transport buses take that due to the lack of a proper bypass. That is very much manageable.

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by kala

My nephew got a speeding ticket in Wayanad (between Sulthan Batheri and Kalpetta) on Saturday morning around 10 AM for doing 78kmph on NH212. The speed limit on National highways all over Kerala is generally 80, but it seems the limit in Wayanad district has been reduced to 70 due to frequent accidents. (That is what he was told by the cops - I couldn't see any speed limit boards on the highway indicating this when I travelled that way on Friday and today)

So people driving through Wayanad : Please note this change in speed limits.

Saw an interceptor stationed between Sultan Bathery and Kalpetta at the same spot during my onward and return journeys. It is around 10 KMs after Sultan Bathery on one of the straight stretches. Please watch out.

[binaiks]

Has anybody tried the Mananthavady-Kuttiady stretch recently?

[arjithin]

Be aware, road block near Maddur because of local villagers protesting. Both sides of the road blocked for 2 hrs. My friend is stuck.

[MinivanDriver]

What are they protesting for? I thought Kaveri issue is kind of settled for the time being.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

What are they protesting? I thought Kaveri issue is kind of settled for the time being.

It was related to cauvery but more of a local issue. Apparently the release to the irrigation canals have been stopped and the protest was against this as paddy crops are in flowering stage and need water(as per an article in the paper)