[1lokesh]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Guys,

Had started climbing the Khambhatki Ghat...

... (Had to do a U turn (with difficulty) and head back to the start of the ghat where there was now a moderate traffic jam due to all cars u-turning and police doing little or nothing to sort out the mess. Took the alternate one way system through the tunnel.

Regards,
SS

Hey suzuki san,

Is it allowed to take that route? I mean while heading towards Satara from Pune? I thought the tunnel was one - way for the traffic in opposite direction (ie. from Satara to Pune)

I would love to take that tunnel while going since it will easily save about 20 minutes or more, given the road widening work is going on. Its been WIP from Diwali though...

Cheers,
Lokesh.

[Ketan T]

Originally Posted by 1lokesh

Hey suzuki san,

Is it allowed to take that route? I mean while heading towards Satara from Pune? I thought the tunnel was one - way for the traffic in opposite direction (ie. from Satara to Pune)

I would love to take that tunnel while going since it will easily save about 20 minutes or more, given the road widening work is going on. Its been WIP from Diwali though...

Cheers,
Lokesh.

I guess it was made a two way tunnel temporarily as the ghat road was blocked. It is not a two way tunnel.

Right, Suzuki San?

[suzuki san]

Hi Lokesh & Ketan,

I had no idea about road widening works in progress.
Obviously, neither did the police!!
The old story about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing!!
If you guys knew about it, the authorities should have known about it and the road should have been marked as closed and no vehicles allowed. Imagine a truck trying to do a U turn on Khambhatki Ghat!

The tunnel is definitely NOT a two way tunnel but that's the way the police sent us so I just followed the herd!! Actually, apart from the tunnel which is narrow and only one lane each side, I don't see why this can't be used on a permanent basis.

Lokesh, you are right. Although I was annoyed at the U turn etc it probably saved me a bit of time in the long run because one always gets stuck behind a slow truck or bus on that ghat where it is difficult to overtake.

Regards,
SS

[Ketan T]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Lokesh & Ketan,

If you guys knew about it, the authorities should have known about it and the road should have been marked as closed and no vehicles allowed. Imagine a truck trying to do a U turn on Khambhatki Ghat!

Regards,
SS

I have not seen a truck take a U turn, but I have seen trucks turn turtle while negotiating a turn in the Khambatki ghat. In fact, once I had to take the Tunnel route, like you did, because the ghat road was closed as a truck had meg with an accident.

I hope after the road widening is completed, the number of accidents will go down. I wish the government had created a two way tunnel like for Katraj ghat bypass.

[asivan]

Originally Posted by Ketan T

I wish the government had created a two way tunnel like for Katraj ghat bypass.

This is what frustrates me to no end. Why do civic planners not use their head for anything? What good would just a single way tunnel do, especially in such an important highway. Personally, I'd fire the person who reviewed these project plans, purely for the lack of foresight.

Unfortunately such examples are far too many in our country.

[Sawyer]

We need to be realistic with our expectations and keep in mind two things - that we are a poor country and we have a very large and expanding population that is always outgrowing any infrastructure that is built.

The Khambatki bypass must be about 15 years old now, and the tunnel was built for one way traffic in a road that was and is still a one way road. A two lane tunnel there isn't unreasonable, give all of the above. Even today, it isn't ordinarily a bottleneck.

Who would have planned a 12 or 16 lane expressway between Bombay and Pune, when construction commenced about 20 years ago? And for anyone that did, who would have funded the project? And yet, a 12 lane version will be needed in 5-10 years time.

In my book there are a lot more examples of poor individual civic behaviour in our country and few accept that, and even fewer live better examples of it.

[TaurusAl]

So what is the latest on road closure. I am planning to do the trip on Re-Public day weekend. Should I take the old highway to avoid this jam or is it manageable?

[nec2152]

I returned from a trip to Goa on 9th Feb weekend. We wanted to take the Chorla ghat route but had to take the Amboli ghat route, since the rented Innova driver said he can't go into Belgaum since they do not have Karnataka permit. Main points to note are:

1. The road is still filled with diversions between Pune and Satara. Try to leave Pune before 4AM so you cover this stretch with least traffic.
2. After you leave NH4 near Nippani, and until you join NH17 after Sawantwadi, the entire road is patch work. Of course the potholes have been reduced to a great extent, but the resultant road is complete patchwork. It did not feel bone jarring in Innova, but it sure did feel uncomfortable since the drive was doing speeds of 80 on the patched up road.
3. Most roads inside Goa are again very good, except a few bad patches.

I would still suggest taking Chorla ghat route if possible. It will add 30 kms one way to the drive, but will also add a lot of passengers' comfort and speed of travel. And it will surely add to the scenic beauty. I found that the Amboli ghat is not as good as the Chorla ghat in terms of scenic beauty. Passenger suffering from motion sickness can sit on the co-driver seat which will reduce motion sickness to a great extent.

[Sawyer]

I agree about Chorla being more scenic, and probably more comfortable if it took less time. My experiences have been that Amboli takes about 40 minutes less than Chorla to get to Candolim. In the first place, one loses time in Belgaum traffic even passing through at 9 am. And second, the roads through Goa after Chorla are narrower and slower, though more interesting. While the Sawantwadi to Candolim road is generally speaking fast/wide, if boring. Throw in the 30 odd kms saved; end result is the 40 minutes shorter Amboli route, unless the surface is in really bad shape for long distances. That usually isn't the case these days.

[Desmosedici]

I am planning on going to Malvan on 29th Jan. In a dilemma over which route to take.

Option 1 - Mumbai - Expressway - Pali Khopoli bypass - NH17 - Kasal - Malvan.
Road work going on in patches. 2 lane road.

Option 2 - Mumbai - Pune - Satara - Kolhapur - Gaganbawda - Kasal - Malvan.
Road work near Satara. 4 lane highway.

Planning to start driving at 5AM from Goregaon West. Being a Friday, i dont expect to see too much of a traffic.

Please suggest the better route. I intend to complete the jouney in 10 hours.

Car - Ecosport Ecoboost
People - Me and Wifey
Drivers - Just me

Cheers,
Raj

[Sawyer]

If the Gaganbawda road is as bad as usual - I haven't used it for some years - a slightly longer but better and probably faster option is NH4 till Nipani, thence to Sawantwadi via Amboli, and Malvan from Sawantwadi.

NH 17 all the way is probably the slowest option.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Sawyer,
The time of 9 hours and 15 mins was mine and it is not just credible but a fact and if you read other posts of mine in this thread you will see that this time is nothing abnormal.

Having just come back from Goa, I have to apologise here; at this time/road conditions, I can see that this is quite feasible based on my experience too.

I left Candolim at 9 am and was home in Pune at 5 pm after one 30 minute break for lunch. Had I left earlier, I would have done the traffic ridden stretch from Candolim all the way to the Sawantwadi turn faster. Likewise, if I had not experimented with the traffic ridden Gadhinglaj route instead of the Uttur route. Eliminate those two and a 7 ish hour driving time, for a 7.5 hour total time is quite feasible, without ever exceeding 100-105 kmph. While the Satara Pune road has plenty of diversions, high average speeds are quite possible in daytime. In most places the diverted road also has decent surfaces, a rare thing in India.

[Desmosedici]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

If the Gaganbawda road is as bad as usual - I haven't used it for some years - a slightly longer but better and probably faster option is NH4 till Nipani, thence to Sawantwadi via Amboli, and Malvan from Sawantwadi.

NH 17 all the way is probably the slowest option.

Thanks. I will use NH4 as you have suggested. NH17 is scenic and fun but a bit scary as well. If the time is going to be the same then i might as well take the longer but comfortable route.

Cheers,
Raj

[Sawyer]

NH17 is a lot more fun on a bike; in a car overtaking is always a task given the lack of median, plus you go through many towns - it can get mentally tiring.

[Desmosedici]

True that. Plus i hear a lot about the ongoing roadwork on NH17 so i guess it better steer clear off it and stick to NH4.

Gaganbawda - I have used this road a few times but that was i think around 4 years ago and it was never very pleasant.