[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by narayans80

To clarify. NH 532 is V Koot Road-Veppur-Vriddachalam-Neyveli-Cuddalore. Ulundurpet-Kallakurichi-Chinna Salem-Athur-Salem has been an NH for quite a while now (atleast 30 years). It was NH68 in the past and NH79 now.

Yes, I'm aware that Ulundurpet-Kallakurichi-Salem has long been a NH.

On the other hand, it was my mistake saying the Salem-Veppur-Vridachalam-Cuddalore stretch was a SH, should have mentioned it as V Koot Road instead of Salem as you correctly pointed out.

[Prodigy07]

How's the below route to Kumbakonam now? Can someone provide inputs please?

Chennai-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Prodigy07

How's the below route to Kumbakonam now? Can someone provide inputs please?

Chennai-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam

Yes, this is best route. Exit NH45 at Veppur and drive towards Vridhachalam bypass.

-Ravi

[concorde24]

Planning for a trip from Chennai to Thirukadaiyur and back. Google maps suggests 2 routes, via ECR and one via GST/Veppur. Can experts confirm if Veppur route is better for Thirukadaiyur as well?

[ravib]

Originally Posted by concorde24

Planning for a trip from Chennai to Thirukadaiyur and back. Google maps suggests 2 routes, via ECR and one via GST/Veppur. Can experts confirm if Veppur route is better for Thirukadaiyur as well?

ECR route is scenic but beyond Pondy, particularly between Pondy to Cuddalore, the traffic is extremely high and will slow you down, quite tiring and sometimes irritating as well to overtake.

I think you can take Veppur route and go via Vridhachalam-Chidambaram and further down to Thirukadayur which will be less tiring and you get maximum 4L less traffic upto Chidambaram. Beyond chidambaram, its going to be same in either route.

-Ravi

[concorde24]

Originally Posted by ravib

ECR route is scenic but beyond Pondy, particularly between Pondy to Cuddalore, the traffic is extremely high and will slow you down, quite tiring and sometimes irritating as well to overtake.

I think you can take Veppur route and go via Vridhachalam-Chidambaram and further down to Thirukadayur which will be less tiring and you get maximum 4L less traffic upto Chidambaram. Beyond chidambaram, its going to be same in either route.

-Ravi

I complete my trip to Thirukadaiyur on Aug 15/16 and here are the route updates

Oneward Journey - Chennai to Thirukadiayur via GST/Veppur

1. Also planned to cover Srimushnam and Vaitheeswaran Koil on the way
2. GMAP route: https://goo.gl/maps/ECbJZjTKbYC2
3. Roads were excellent all the way through. Only average section was from Srimushnam to Chidambaram byepass stretch
4. Sirgazhi byepass to Thirukadaiyur is narrow at many places but road condition was good.
5. Started at 6am from T nagar and reached Thirukadaiyur at 2pm. Had stopped at Srimushnam from 10:20-10:45am and Vaitheeswaran koil from 12:30 - 1:30pm.
   
   

Return Journey : Thirukadaiyur to Chennai via ECR

1. Came via ECR Route. https://goo.gl/maps/mJkUhTU2mRs
2. Medium Traffic till Cuddalore. There was a AIADMK meeting in Cuddalore on 8/16 and I was struck in traffic for around 30 min in the town. Unfortunately no byepass for cuddalore
3. After Pondy it ECR is a breeze and reached chennai just after the rains. Luckily for me not much rains in ECR.
4. Started from Thirukadaiyur at 2pm and reached T nagar at 8pm with a 30 min break at CoffeeDay Seekinankuppam ECR.
   

Thanks!!

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by concorde24

Only average section was from Srimushnam to Chidambaram byepass stretch

Has Sethiathope-Bhuvanagiri-Chidambaram stretch become average? It was reported as good even a few months back (i.e post Vardah).

Just curious, how long does it take to cross Paranur starting 6am from T.Nagar these days? Or you took OMR-Thiruporur-Chengalpattu?

[concorde24]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Has Sethiathope-Bhuvanagiri-Chidambaram stretch become average? It was reported as good even a few months back (i.e post Vardah).

To be precise the road condition from Srimushnam to Sethiathope (SH317) was pretty much average. Just after NH36 the roads are broad but not as good as Chidambaram bypass stretch.

Originally Posted by narayans80

Just curious, how long does it take to cross Paranur starting 6am from T.Nagar these days? Or you took OMR-Thiruporur-Chengalpattu?

I started from T.nagar at 6 am and went by Kathipara/Tambaram strech and crossed Paranur at 7:05 am. Surprisingly it was not crowded probably because i went during end of long weekend. Usually during Diwali/Pongal long weekends, it takes anything between 15-30 min to cross this toll itself.

[Gansan]

What is the status of this route currently, due to rains? Can we take this route from Mayavaram to Tindivanam en route Chennai, or the Sirkali-Chidambaram-Cuddallore-Pondy ECR? Which will be better? We have to travel by car.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Gansan

What is the status of this route currently, due to rains? Can we take this route from Mayavaram to Tindivanam en route Chennai, or the Sirkali-Chidambaram-Cuddallore-Pondy ECR? Which will be better? We have to travel by car.

GST Road joined at Ulundurpet is your best bet.

The stretch of ECR till Cuddalore is single lane and sometimes broken up. And then pass through Cuddalore and Pondy town traffic.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Gansan

We have to travel by car.

Post rains there is no update. Prior to rains, last Sunday to be exact, I took this route to reach Sirkali. This would help you avoid Pondy-Cuddalore and Chidambaram-Bhuvanagiri-Sethiathope. Roads are good throughout and took 2:45 for Sirkali-Vikravandi toll.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Post rains there is no update. Prior to rains, last Sunday to be exact, I took

Thanks. This is good to note. I was surprised earlier as well that there existed two parallel roads from Thirukoillore to Panruti. Have you tried both? Any choices there?

Also any updates on how Vridhachalam-Chidambaram section of 532 is shaping up? Because if that comes good, will it then make sense to go till Sethiyarthope and then hit the 532.

I have not driven on that side for some time now.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ampere

I was surprised earlier as well that there existed two parallel roads from Thirukoillore to Panruti. Have you tried both? Any choices there?

I didn't try SH68 (maybe on a later trip), only SH9. The MDR 736 happened by accident on the return. Here's my section wise writeup immediately after the trip:

Madapattu-Panruti SH9 - Typical 2 lane, no reflectors. Moderate 2 wheeler traffic, Hardly any 4-wheeler traffic. Some rough patches here and there but generally good. Worth doing 60-80 kph.

Veerapar-Kedilam MDR 736 - Took this by mistake on the return. Wide 2-lane with reflectors. Impressive tarmac where you can easily do 100. Almost nil traffic for those 6-7 kms.

SH9 is completely blocked out at Panruti town. So took Cuddalore-Sankarapuram SH68 for a short stretch. Narrow 2-lane with bus, 2-wheeler traffic.

So got off SH9 and took SH138-MDR 619-MDR 161-MDR 199-MDR 200 to join ECR at Kullanchavadi a good 20 km south of Cuddalore.
SH 138 - Worth doing 60 kph, almost nil traffic except for some odd 2-wheelers. Got stuck for a few min behind couple of tractors at Naduveerapattu otherwise no other 4-wheelers. There is a small rough section in Naduveerapattu village, otherwise tarmac was good

MDR 619-MDR 161 - Good 2-lane, Almost no traffic except for 2-wheelers and odd 4-wheelers. At best 60-80 kph road. Its not wide enough to do 100s.

MDR 199-MDR 200 - This was the best find in the trip. Reasonably wider 2-lane, no reflectors. Few 2-wheelers, even less 4-wheelers. Did 80s in stretchers. Very good tarmac with very less traffic. Was so impressed, took it both ways. This road passes through a market for 0.5 km at Kullanchavadi where you cross NH 532 (Vriddachalam-Cuddalore road)
MDR 199 intersection to Panruti on NH36 - Contrary to what I imagined, the surface was really good except for 1-2 odd potholes which I managed to successfully play Minesweeper with. As for traffic, I was overtaking trucks and buses the entire 12 km stretch LOL.
I felt this stretch was much easier to negotiate when compared to the ECR stretch I had to do.

ECR - Flooded with 2-wheelers all through. Between Thiyagavalli and Chidambaram is narrow. Not so easy to overtake buses which run aplenty.
There is a small 100m bad section where Chidambaram bypass splits. Otherwise there was not a single pothole throughout.

Chidambaram bypass is extra-wide 2-lane.

Chidambaram-Sirkazhi ECR is much wider than the Cuddalore-Chidambaram section. Also the traffic eases out after Chidambaram.
Reference Timing:

Sirkazhi bypass-ECR-Thyagavalli-MDR 200-MDR 199-NH36-Panruti-SH9- MDR 736-NH38-Vikravandi toll took 2:45 under lights. It could be 20-30 mins lower in daylight.

Originally Posted by ampere

Also any updates on how Vridhachalam-Chidambaram section of 532 is shaping up? Because if that comes good, will it then make sense to go till Sethiyarthope and then hit the 532.

NH 532 was out of my way. It did cross MDR 199 at Kullanchavadi as I mentioned above.

I took this route on 3 inputs/conditions:

1. Avoid Pondy-Cuddalore.
2. Avoid Bhuvanagiri-Chidambaram unless I was interested in off roading. Which 2 acquiantances said there were bad sections in this route.
3. Destination was Sirkazhi. So I thought going until Veppur was too much of a stretch. So I wanted to divert off before Sengurichi(Ulundurpet) toll. Here one of them recommended SH9, so I took it and the rest was my on-the spot exploration.
4. I had time in hand and wanted to take an unconventional route where I can avoid as much ECR as possible.

BTW my onward route was this that's described above.

[Sridhar K]

Currently on a trip from Chennai-Kumbakonam-Mannargudi-Trichy-Chennai.

Chennai-KKonam via ulundhurpet, Virudhachalam-Jayamkondan-Anaikarai. Pretty good road along except for an occassional rough patch. Was not sure about Panruti Anaikarai

Kumbakonam Mannargudi via Alangudi is average, the age taking its toll. Roads inside Mannargudi towns were bad. Mannargudi Thanjavur via vaduvur was excellent and the the NH to Trichy is in good shape

[petrolhead_chn]

I am going to travel to Kumbakonam with family. It would be of great help if folks can suggest a good route. I also intend to offer prayers at Vaitheeswaran koil enroute. Somehow I am not convinced to take the ECR route as the roads are under development and I prefer the Tindivanam route. Please suggest.