[NPV]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

You guys have echoed my thoughts. This is actually a very serious safety hazard especially in the ghats since overtaking maneuvers can go horribly wrong and most drivers will be forced off the road while doing so. Most drivers don't care to bother if there are vehicles coming from the opposite direction

I also fear that if trucks do get down the shoulders at places like the ones in the pictures (on the curved sections), their attempts at getting back onto the top surface is going to damage the edges as well which will lead to slow breakages in the concrete surface over a period of time Since the road was closed down for so many months, they may as well have closed it for another month to complete the work on these shoulders!

[rajshenoy]

I inaugurated the shiradi stretch today.

I must say a pretty good work by the concerned teams.

Road is sufficiently wide and we need not really worry about those edges. Two buses can effortlessly pass just like how it used to be.

I dont think they were letting heavy tankers to pass, but i saw KSRTC buses

They have also installed reflectors in the curves and were fixing sign boards as i travelled

Coming to the edges, considering the fact that they just poured mud and gravel and the heavy rains that pour.. it will be a matter of days before its all washed away. So do not pull over your car in a hurry.
Also i request the drivers to be extremely careful downhill as its concrete and might skid. Saw many cars parked and passengers throwing up.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Road is sufficiently wide and we need not really worry about those edges. Two buses can effortlessly pass just like how it used to be.

We are not going to question on how and where the money was spent in building that 12 kms of concrete stretch.

However, these edges are dangerous not when 2 buses pass but in situations like the ones below:

• You spot a vehicle overtaking another right in front of you when you approach a curve - Your immediate reflex would make you move extremely left to make way for the monsters but then you have such edges that can topple your car even if one wheel went in!
  
• You are driving at night - There is a Truck parked on the extreme left which has broken down. A Bus with high beams is passing next to it while you just encounter this (in 60s). You think you can safely move aside as there is sufficient gap to pull over. You do it and only end up with damaged car when you get off the main corridor onto that shoulder
  
• You are driving at night, its raining heavily and on a curve you are blinded by an oncoming vehicle that you try to move left as much as possible to avoid that glare only to misjudge the edge of the road and fall into it

Likewise, there will be many such instances which will make this halfbaked road a dangerous one unless authorities do the least - Which is fixing the shoulder permanently than dumping soil and gravel here!

Forget all this, I am wondering how can any soul pull over and change that flat wheel on the left hand side unless he is parking on the main corridor blocking a lane and your fellow driver removing his florescent jacket and waving at the traffic approaching this car about this! In reality, the shoulder simply does not exist at all.

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

[*]You spot a vehicle overtaking another right in front of you when you approach a curve - Your immediate reflex would make you move extremely left to make way for the monsters but then you have such edges that can topple your car even if one wheel went in!

One of my cousin faced exactly the same situation yesterday at the spot shown below. He said he was able to stop the car just on the edge.

[funkykar]

All possible conditions perfectly summed up by Parag. There are many such instances where a vehicle is forced to get off the road by aggressive/rash on coming vehicles. It can be heavy damage for the car and at certain places, the car can easily turn turtle too. I cant even imagine if a 2 wheeler gets pushed out of the road at such edges!!!

Me and Parag having driven here, our anticipation levels will be one notch higher until the edges are levelled well.

Pic posted by @GuyFromBlr gives a very good idea of how bad it can be.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Likewise, there will be many such instances which will make this halfbaked road a dangerous one unless authorities do the least - Which is fixing the shoulder permanently than dumping soil and gravel here!

. Today those shoulders have been packed with soil and loose gravel. It is matter of days before that gets washed away and the edges are exposed again. I had written the same on mobile, so may be could not convey the severity.

I am also worried about rash drivers taking these smooth roads. Concrete+Ghat roads is not every ones cup of coffee

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

I am also worried about rash drivers taking these smooth roads. Concrete+Ghat roads is not every ones cup of coffee

not long before taxi innovas/indicabs practise their mad race against the clock on a wet concrete surface, running downhill, on a curve. Rental self-drive crowd from BLR are not far behind in such antics. Not even speaking about the KSRTC silver-maroon monsters.
I find trucks (laden) and owner-driven cars to be the least scary.

[SunnyBoi]

Well this didn't take long. Sigh

Source : Deccan Herald

[Thilak29]

As soon as it opened, blood stains on road! Unfortunate. RIP folks.

[Mahesh Prasad]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

We are not going to question on how and where the money was spent in building that 12 kms of concrete stretch.
...

Parag Sir, I will be driving up to Bangalore tomorrow morning. Just wondering whether it is worth taking the Shiradi Ghat Stretch. I'm apprehensive about this regarding the risks and since almost all vehicles are plying on that road, also the above scenarios make me a bit uncomfortable.

I was considering taking the Madikeri - Mysore Road, since I would be travelling to Kengeri. But a friend advised against it since it has too many Speed Breakers & traffic. He suggested an alternate route from Kushalnagar via Ramnathpur to Channarayapatna. I'm aware that Buses were plying through that route before the reopening of Shiradi Ghat.

I would really appreciate if you guys suggest me the best route to take and about the conditions of the above alternate route. Also is the Charmadi route an viable option?
Thanks in advance.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Mahesh Prasad

Parag Sir, I will be driving up to Bangalore tomorrow morning. Just wondering whether it is worth taking the Shiradi Ghat Stretch. I'm apprehensive about this regarding the risks and since almost all vehicles are

Mahesh, do not worry much about the conditions after the Shiradi Ghats have opened. By now, I am sure the shoulders should have got covered with whatever material the authorities had planned to.

Just drive safe and in a pace such that you have control of your vehicle to stop in time or pass a tricky section without much ado since the actual stretch is as wide as it was before. It's only the shoulders which was a cause for concern.

Since you will be driving tomorrow morning, traffic anyway will be less in both directions and you should have an easy drive.

[hallik9]

Drove from Udupi to Bangalore via Shiradi on Thursday.
Left Udupi at 3.45pm and managed to make it to my home at Bannergatta road by 1040pm. Just took 2 small coffee breaks of 20 minutes in total. Shiradi ghat is holding up well. Yes, its early days and there is still work to be done. I hope the roads aren't abused by the tankers and other heavy vehicles until the rest of the work is completed. Until this stretch closes again, I will stick with Shiradi for now

[Mahesh Prasad]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Mahesh, do not worry much about the conditions after the Shiradi Ghats have opened. By now, I am sure the shoulders should have got covered with whatever material the authorities had planned..

Thanks for the advise Parag Sir. I took the shiradi road this morning and had a pleasant drive. Fortunately did not encounter much traffic. Started at 10:30 am and reached kengeri at 5:30pm with a couple of stops at Uppinangady and Yediyur.
They have started filling up the shoulders with more mud and laterite stones!! Wonder whether it's useful though, I could see few truck tire marks and it had created a slush at the edges. Getting down onto that might cause problems.






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[razeetg]

Hi,

I'm planning to travel to Mangalore from Bangalore tomorrow early morning (4ish). From the posts, it seems Shiradi way is safe enough. Will be driving a Ford Fiesta. Will take caution at the edges. Anything else to note? Don't want to get stuck on the way. Thanks.

--
R

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by razeetg

Hi,

I'm planning to travel to Mangalore from Bangalore tomorrow early morning (4ish). From the posts, it seems Shiradi way is safe enough. Will be driving a Ford Fiesta. Will take caution at the edges. Anything else to note? Don't want to get stuck on the way. Thanks.

--
R

Just keep the speeds low at curves to avoid nausea

Roads are almost pothole free from blr-mlr and i mean it !!

It was never so good in recent few years. Enjoy and have a safe drive