[ampere]

Originally Posted by DAART

I am planning to visit my cousin in Thondi during Feb 16 weekend. Can anyone advise which route to take for Bangalore to Thondi. please

You have 2 options:

- Via Dindigul/Karaikudi
- Via Trichy/Pudukottai.

Both distances are comparable. Second option is about 480 via the first is about 530.

Pros/Cons
- The road to Dindigul gets you empty 4-lane till Dindigul, but you have to cross Dindigul town.
- The same is the issue with Trichy. A bit simpler though. (Be on the bypass and take the Pudkuottai road).

I dont conclusively know, what to select between the two. I am inclined to think the Dindigul option may be more easier one to drive (?)

[DAART]

Thank you for your inputs Ampere.If I get time, I will explore both routes. Else Dindigul looks tempting with the four lane option.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by DAART

Thank you for your inputs Ampere.If I get time, I will explore both routes. Else Dindigul looks tempting with the four lane option.

We did travel to Karaikudi in first week of November 2017. For past few years, usually we used to go via Trichy-Kottampatti-Singampunari-Pillayarpatti-Karaikudi for onward journey and return via Pillayarpatti-Natham-Dindugal-Karur-Salem-Bangalore to maximize the 4L road travel.

However for Nov 2017 trip, since the roads via Trichy/Pudukkotai by pass are fantastic, we found there is no significant advantage in terms of time or road conditions to drive extra kms via Dindugal and cross the town is major pain.

Originally Posted by ampere

You have 2 options:

- Via Dindigul/Karaikudi
- Via Trichy/Pudukottai.

Both distances are comparable. Second option is about 480 via the first is about 530.

Pros/Cons
- The road to Dindigul gets you empty 4-lane till Dindigul, but you have to cross Dindigul town.
- The same is the issue with Trichy. A bit simpler though. (Be on the bypass and take the Pudkuottai road).

I dont conclusively know, what to select between the two. I am inclined to think the Dindigul option may be more easier one to drive (?)

So my recommendation is you travel by option #2 mentioned by ampere (i.e.) via Trichy/Pudukkottai by pass to Karaikudi.

-Ravi

[venkyhere]

Planning to do Bangalore to pillayarpatti.
- zeroed in on taking deviation from 4L at dindigul (want to minimize travel on undivided roads), then do the dindigul to karaikkudi SH35, via natham, singampunari and thirupattur, to arrive at pillayarpatti. This undivided stretch is slightly less than 100km. How is the road surface, anyone here has any recent info on the same ?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Planning to do Bangalore to pillayarpatti.
- zeroed in on taking deviation from 4L at dindigul (want to minimize travel on undivided roads), then do the dindigul to karaikkudi SH35, via natham, singampunari and thirupattur, to arrive at pillayarpatti. This undivided stretch is slightly less than 100km. How is the road surface, anyone here has any recent info on the same ?

I have not heard about any updates to this section for some time now. Ravi usually visits Pilliarpatty. Probably he should comment on this.

But yes the route via Nattam is 2-lane and wide.

But you need to a find your way through Dindigul town to Nattam road.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Planning to do Bangalore to pillayarpatti.

In Feb 2018, Kottampatti-Tirupattur was average. You'll be doing about 40-60 thereabouts.

You could do Karur-Kulithalai-Chatram-Trichy bypass-Pudukottai-Tirumayam-Pillayarpatti. Roads are in better shape all through. Progress on the 25-30 km section between Pettavathalai-Chatram-Trichy Civil-Bharatidasan University will be slower.

Keeranur rail over bridge is still WIP, which is about a km stretch which has been WIP for ages. There's a separate route Google suggests to Pillayarpatti after Tirumayam, which is good except for 2-3 km of average sections. Taking this avoids the pain of going through Karaikudi.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

You could do Karur-Kulithalai-Chatram-Trichy bypass-Pudukottai-Tirumayam-Pillayarpatti. Roads are in better shape all through. Progress on the 25-30 km section between Pettavathalai-Chatram-Trichy Civil-Bharatidasan University will be slower.

I am purposely trying to avoid the via trichy option, since I want to maximize travel on 4L, so that the journey is less tiring to passengers with changes in speeds and surfaces (family with aged folks and toddlers).

Hence prefer only dindigul option. If crossing dingigul town and the SH after that are cumbersome, I am even open to going all the way just before kappalur toll plaza (madurai outer), take left and be on madurai bypass, reach melur exit, and then deviate towards tiruppattur-pillayarpatti.

Don't mind the extra 30mins or extra distance.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

I want to maximize travel on 4L

If you are going around Madurai, then the route is Melur-Tirupattur-Pillayarpatti, which might be 40-50 km of 2-lanes. But its a much more narrow or curvy road compared to the Trichy option, which is a wide 2-lane.

Some 2-3 Madurai bypass (ring road) sections are still WIP

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

If you are going around Madurai, then the route is Melur-Tirupattur-Pillayarpatti, which might be 40-50 km of 2-lanes. But its a much more narrow or curvy road compared to the Trichy option, which is a wide 2-lane.

Some 2-3 Madurai bypass (ring road) sections are still WIP

THank you. Valuable info.
So the madurai bypass - doesn't it get used by all the tirunelveli side to chennai side highway traffic ? Is this WIP related to flyover construction ?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

So the madurai bypass - doesn't it get used by all the tirunelveli side to chennai side highway traffic ? Is this WIP related to flyover construction ?

It does, the sections that were in WIP:

1. Entry ramp into ring road from Trichy-Madurai 4-lane.
2. Small section around Sivagangai exit.
3. Rameswaram roundabout and Vaigai bridge after Rameswaram exit.
4. Rail over bridge between Tuticorin and Tirunelveli exit