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Originally Posted by moralfibre Drove to Goa over the long weekend. Took my favorite Pune - Kolhapur - Nipani - Uttur - Ajara - Amboli - Sawantwadi - Goa route. All the broken patches between Nipani - Ajara - Amboli - Sawantwadi are fully patched. None of the huge potholes remain. Some sections are rough but nothing that will make you slow down. A few speedbreakers have been added between Nipani and Uttur especially where they had schools by the road side. Some of them are still unmarked. Be careful.
I still maintain a good amount of opposition to the Chorla route because it takes you via Belgaum where you lose time. Secondly, there are almost no run off areas should any of those enthu cutlets overshoot corners and come straight at you. Amboli route remains the fastest way to enter north Goa while Anmod takes you quickly down south. |
I drove down from Bombay to Goa today and after reading all the reports on the Amboli road decided to use it for a change.
What a mistake-a to make-a!!!
"MoralFibre" - No Offence but Sorry! I find it hard to agree with your opposition to the Chorla Road. (Let's just agree to disagree!!)
First of all the difference in distance between the Chorla Road and the Amboli Road is just 10Kms. I have checked this numerous times.
Secondly, you spend a lot more time on a proper highway (NH4) where you can easily make up the time - especially on the stretch between Nipani and Belgaum - that you are likely to lose in Belgaum traffic.
Thirdly, the Nipani - Uttur - Ajra - Amboli road (SH120) is a continuous "lumpy" ride on a pockmarked road which has not changed over the last 10 years. If your passengers are belted in, Yes! you can maintain a speed of about 80 Kmph but it's not comfortable. Also the road seems to go on and on, twisting and turning and my wife who is prone to motion sickness was suffering today and berating me for my stupid decision to use the Amboli Road. She has no problems with the Chorla Road which is almost like a carpet compared to Amboli.
I agree totally with you about the run off areas. That can get a bit hairy on the Chorla Road but the same thing happened to me (forced off the road) three times today on the Amboli Road, so...
Anyway, to each his own.
Looks like the "Speed Breaker Fairy" has been wandering around the Nipani area. I counted 32 (individual) speed breakers today between Nipani and Uttur - a distance of just 20 Kms. After Uttur there were just a couple.
Summary :
1. We left Bombay (Andheri WEH) at 05.45 due to a late night last night. Exited via SCLR and Vashi.
2. Heavy traffic on the Expressway even so early in the morning. Trucks blocking all three lanes as usual on the ghats so had to zig zag through them.
3. Looks like some new digging has started on the Poona By Pass near "Popular Nagar".
4. Was good to see the Khambatki Ghat road is almost completed - 3 lanes for 95% of the ghat - and is in very good condition.
5. All the usual diversions between Poona and Satara are still there. Usual mini jams on the service roads.
6. Reached the Nipani turning at exactly 12.00 after 2 stops of about 20 mins and 15 mins and I figured we were making good time.
However, from the turn off at Nipani it took another gruelling 3 hours and 20 minutes to reach Mapuca (I live just outside Mapuca) including a 35 minute stop for lunch (and to give my wife a break) at Minerva (Ajra).
So, all in all, it took just over 9.5 hours which is about the same or maybe a little more time than it takes me if I use Chorla.
N.B.
Breakfast at Vithal Kamat just outside Poona (near the McD) was a disaster. Food was pathetic, Did not expect this at Kamat's. Washrooms were OK.
Lunch at Minerva was a pleasant experience. Food was tasty, reasonably priced and washrooms were clean. Plenty of covered parking.
Usual traffic jams at the toll booths.
Regards,
SS