[hallik9]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I spent 20-25 minutes at each toll booth due to this nonsense. I don't understand how these stupid people think, staying in proper lane from the beginning would take one across the toll booth lot faster than fighting to cut into the proper lane at last moment.

I have seen this happen on sundays especially on my return to Bangalore. Had done a drive to Hassan on the weekend and faced the same issue at the tolls. People trying to cut each other and create ruckus in the process. I did enquire with the toll guy and he said that even their systems were working slow which added to the long queues. Not sure if it was just pure additional traffic back to Blore due to the weekend

[paragsachania]

Even before these toll booths came into existence, I have always been driving to Bangalore only after starting from Belur after 9:00PM so that I don't get irritated with these weekend Jokers wanting to rush back home.
Post 9PM start ensures such a peaceful drive under sedate speeds and offers a lot of peace of mind in the and even saves good amount of time.

[addyhemmige]

I happened to travel to Kukke and Dharmasthala over the weekend and this is the update.

Shiradi ghat is almost fully patched up and is in good condition.
Gundya-Kukke road is good as usual.
Kukke-Dharmasthala - Did a mistake of not going via Gundya. Took the direct route via Ichilampady. Once you divert from the Kukke-Kadaba-Uppinangadi road, it is pathetic. Even after crossing the NH 48 onto the Kokkada-Dharmasthala road, it continues to be bad (There are a couple of good stretches in between though).

This is the route
http://goo.gl/maps/UtAeV

Dharmasthala-Hassan - I came via Charmadi ghat back to Hassan. Charmadi ghat road is completely relaid and is a superb to drive. The stretch from Ujire to Hassan is superb except for the road inside Belur town. The route is Ujire-Charmadi-Kottigehara-Mudigere Hand Post-Cheeknally-Belur-Hassan.

Originally Posted by chandan

BTW, the main reason behind the rush was a slew of weddings everywhere.

Even I was thinking the same. I myself had to attend 4 functions this Sunday, 3 in Hassan and 1 in Bangalore. If not for the Bangalore function, I would have had a peaceful drive back to Bangalore on Monday morning.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Main cause for the delay: 5 toll gates and one railway crossing full of really stupid people.

Why do I say really stupid people? Let me explain. As we all know the toll booth in these roads have 4-5 lanes on each side. But when I approached each of those toll gates, I saw 8-10 lines. Even though there are only 4-5 lanes, lots of drivers drive between the lanes hoping cut into the proper lanes at the last moment, just before the toll booth. Once the fake line gets long enough, it is impossible to know which is the real lane and which is fake. At 3 of the 5 toll booths, I ended up joining the fake lane only to realise it as I got closer to the toll booth. Next I had to cut into one of the sides, receiving abuses from the drivers in the proper lane. Many buses indulged in fights with cars and tempo travellers, holding back the cars behind them. I spent 20-25 minutes at each toll booth due to this nonsense. I don't understand how these stupid people think, staying in proper lane from the beginning would take one across the toll booth lot faster than fighting to cut into the proper lane at last moment.

I was one of those unfortunates who got stuck in the 'fake' line at the Shantigrama toll booth. I easily lost 20 mins at this booth. Contrasting to this booth was the Kirisave toll booth where there were correct lines for atleast 2 of the 3 operating lanes.

The Bellur Cross toll booth was calm though. I then took Magadi road to avoid this maddening zig zag driving traffic, to my surprise, that road was full of traffic too. All in all, it was a bad traffic day for me last sunday.

Originally Posted by ampere

I was doing a different circuit.

Bangalore-Kunigal-Yadiyur-Shravanabelagola-Melkote-Tonnur-Nagamangala-Neligere-Nelamangala-Bangalore

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

I have come back from Mangalore numerous times on Sunday but never faced this issue. NH-48 is one of the peaceful highways with most of the drivers behaving very well.

Well, it used to be like that a while back. Now it is quite the opposite, especially after 4 pm on Sundays. I never prefer driving on a Sunday evening from Hassan to Bangalore. The easiest way for me is to start early in the morning and drive on literally empty roads all the way to Bangalore.

Btw, This week while going to Hassan, I took a different route. I wanted to make a 'no-toll' drive this time took the Magadi-Huliyurdurga-Nagamangala route. The road was good upto Huliyurdurga, but after that, upto the Shimsha river bridge it was bad. I was in my Linea and this stretch slowed me down considerably. By the time I reached Nagamangala, it was already 6.30 pm and I did not want to drive on an unknown interior road after dark, I was forced to return back to the NH 48 at Bellur Cross and pay toll for the rest of my journey.

This is the bad stretch
http://goo.gl/maps/o4004

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

The road was good upto Huliyurdurga, but after that, upto the Shimsha river bridge it was bad. I was in my Linea and this stretch slowed me down considerably.

When I went there 3 weeks back, they had relaid upto a village called Devalapura from Nagamangala side. I guess the progress is very slow.

I'm travelling to Managalore this weekend via Melkote and KR Pete. I'm planning to take KR Pete - Shravanabelagola - Hirisave and then towards Mangalore. Any idea how is Shravanabelagola - Hirisave? Is there any better alternative to reach NH-48?

[vinboy]

Need an update from members who have travelled to Mangalore via Shiradi ghat recently. Has the ghat section roads been repaired? When are they closing the ghat section road as reported by News papers recently?

[rockyb4u]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Bangalore - Mangalore is a breeze to drive. Excellent roads. You can easily reach Mangalore by 1 PM by driving very sedately. Samurai and others doesn't go through Mangalore to reach Manipal I guess. I think they take right towards Ujire after Gundya. They can throw more light on that route to Udupi.

Thank you. Any preference for Mangalore to Udupi route. Could you help me with the road condition please?

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by rockyb4u

Thank you. Any preference for Mangalore to Udupi route. Could you help me with the road condition please?

I have traveled from Mangalore to Udupi only in NH-17 which is a mess due to lot of diversions and private buses. This was around last year and not aware of the present condition. You can refer to Samurai's posts 1-2 pages back in this thread to check the latest conditions and routes to Udupi/Manipal.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by vinboy

Need an update from members who have travelled to Mangalore via Shiradi ghat recently. Has the ghat section roads been repaired? When are they closing the ghat section road as reported by News papers recently?

They have not closed the shiradi ghat for vehicles. Even if they, it would be for HCV and not for LCV. The shiradi ghat road is fully patched up, but little rough at higher reaches.

[ALSUDA]

Shiradi ghat is patched up fully, though bit rough in some places it's very much motorable w/o any issues. Only small bottleneck is one bridge construction is going on. Last Sunday I had been to Dharma & back.

[nma83]

Pardon me for the tangential question. I wanted to know what is the best route between Kukke and Shimoga?
Will be doing Bangalore-Kukke-Shimoga-Bangalore this weekend and glad to know that Shiradi is in good shape.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by nma83

Pardon me for the tangential question. I wanted to know what is the best route between Kukke and Shimoga?
Will be doing Bangalore-Kukke-Shimoga-Bangalore this weekend and glad to know that Shiradi is in good shape.

Two Options:
Kukke-Nellyadi-Ujire-Bajagoli-Sringeri-Tirthahalli-Shimoga.


I think this may have less ghat roads:

Shortest distance is via Gundya-Sakleshpur-Belur-Chikkamagulur-Kadur-Shimoga.

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Any idea how is Shravanabelagola - Hirisave? Is there any better alternative to reach NH-48?

Nope, No idea. I've never been on this stretch in ages.

Originally Posted by nma83

Pardon me for the tangential question. I wanted to know what is the best route between Kukke and Shimoga?
Will be doing Bangalore-Kukke-Shimoga-Bangalore this weekend and glad to know that Shiradi is in good shape.

Originally Posted by ampere

Two Options:
Kukke-Nellyadi-Ujire-Bajagoli-Sringeri-Tirthahalli-Shimoga.

I think this may have less ghat roads:

Shortest distance is via Gundya-Sakleshpur-Belur-Chikkamagulur-Kadur-Shimoga.

I would suggest the second option ampere has mentioned. It will be a lot faster than the first one and the road conditions are good

[ampere]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

I'm planning to take KR Pete - Shravanabelagola - Hirisave and then towards Mangalore. Any idea how is Shravanabelagola - Hirisave? Is there any better alternative to reach NH-48?

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Nope, No idea. I've never been on this stretch in ages.

Awesome road! Nice SH green on both sides. A bit rough at one or two points. Thats all. It is the standard route exit point to Shravanabelagola from NH48 while coming from Bangalore side. I had taken it some 3-4 months back. It was very good then. And I don't see any reason why it should deteriorate.

[nma83]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

I would suggest the second option ampere has mentioned. It will be a lot faster than the first one and the road conditions are good

Thanks ampere and addyhemmige. I will take Belur-Kadur-Shimoga. Any idea how much time it would take from Kukke to Shimoga via this route? Google says around 4.5hrs.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by nma83

Thanks ampere and addyhemmige. I will take Belur-Kadur-Shimoga. Any idea how much time it would take from Kukke to Shimoga via this route? Google says around 4.5hrs.

Sakleshpur-Belur - 45 mins
Belur-Chikmagalur - 30 mins
Chikmagalur-Kadur - 30 mins
Kadur-Tarikere-Shimoga - 60 minutes

Hence, budget ~3 hours for Sakleshpur-Shimoga alone.