[concorde24]

Originally Posted by cosmodan

Also mindful on your speeds near Jayamkondam and watch for traffic police noting down outstation car numbers. They wont stop you, but you might get challan'ed later for whatever reason. Got one recently.

Did you get Photo evidence for the challan? If not can we contest the challan asking for proof?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by cosmodan

Also mindful on your speeds near Jayamkondam and watch for traffic police noting down outstation car numbers. They wont stop you, but you might get challan'ed later for whatever reason. Got one recently.

For what speeds did you get challaned? There are innumerable number of speed breakers from KMU bypass to Jayamkondam, almost 1 ever 1/2 km. How is it even possible to speed

[thanixravindran]

After the disastrous experiment with ECR from Pondy to Tarangambadi for the onward journey, decided to try the longer route for return.

Following Yieldway's helpful post, I started from Tarangambadi and took the Mayiladudurai - Nidur - Manalmedu (Section is busy with local traffic) and then to Kattumannar Koil - Sethiathopu road and joined the Virudhachalam road (All decent roads). Driving on the Veeranam tank bund road with mimimal traffic was a pleasant surprise. No wonder Veera Narayanam lake looks like a sea. Hope some day will spend some time on the bank for bird watching and packed food.

Started at 11 AM and reached Virudhachalam by 1.30 PM. Overall this route seems okay to drive and is an alternative to Anaikarai route. I was expecting Sand trucks but surprisingly they were absent during the drive.

I took the direct Ulundurpet road but due to being Aadi Friday, entire Virudhachalam town has processions with Alagu Kuthal and Kaavadi which created a nasty grid lock. Finally I gave up and traced back and entered Veppur road and reached Ulundurpet by 3.00PM. Road is beautiful to drive. Eventually reached Mambakkam by 6.00 PM through Chengalpattu - Thiruporur route without any breaks.

OT
Unrelated, the journey was quite eventful. Started early from hotel only to forget a bag and have to go back to get it. Next a cat ran across the road near Aakkur and got hit in the rear wheel Not sure whether it survived. Around Tindivanam, heavy rains were pouring and was driving slow in left land due to reduced visibility. And a tree just fell in front of the car and managed to stop in time. I was tailed by a Hector which also stopped in time. All of this are firsts in my travel experience and thanked our stars for reaching home safely.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

Following Yieldway's helpful post, I started from Tarangambadi and took the Mayiladudurai - Nidur - Manalmedu (Section is busy with local traffic) and then to Kattumannar Koil - Sethiathopu road and joined the Virudhachalam road (All decent roads).

how is the stretch between Sethiathoppu and Vridachalam? It was under widening couple of years ago. had terrible time.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by venki.bala

how is the stretch between Sethiathoppu and Vridachalam? It was under widening couple of years ago. had terrible time.

I don't recollect any issues with this road. If I remember correctly I reached Sethiathopu junction by 1.00 PM and from there reached Virudhachalam by 1.30 PM. It was a normal drive.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by venki.bala

how is the stretch between Sethiathoppu and Vridachalam? It was under widening couple of years ago. had terrible time.

Its very good venki. No issues. i drove in early June and absolutely good roads.

[ns94]

Did a quick trip from Chennai to Kumbakonam (Oppiliappan temple) last weekend.
Since my starting point was close to ECR, I took the Mahabalipuram - Tirukazhukundram - Maduranthakam stretch to avoid the notorious Paranur toll (on Saturday morning of the long weekend)

Very heavy traffic (by highway standards) till Vikravandi toll.

Took the Ulundurpet - Vriddachalam - Jayamkondam - Anaikarai - Tirupanandal - Kumbakonam Bypass route.

Excellent roads upto Jayamkondam X Road (Gangai Konda Chola puram) post which it was a pain driving through the partly 4 lane, partly 1 lane under construction streches all the way till Kumbakonam Bypass.

It's best to avoid this stretch and take the Jayamkondam - Palur route for a few more months till the works complete.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by ns94

Did a quick trip from Chennai to Kumbakonam (Oppiliappan temple) last weekend.
Since my starting point was close to ECR, I took the Mahabalipuram - Tirukazhukundram - Maduranthakam stretch to avoid the notorious Paranur toll (on Saturday morning of the long weekend)
.

I too drove to Oppiliappan temple On July 3rd and took Jayankondam - T.Palur route , due to long wait - one way traffic in Anaikarai and also mixed roads. Although road surface is fine, but its not that smooth to drive. Rather, i risked the speed breakers for every km via T.Palur route, which is predictable in terms of time.

-Ravi

[ssbiitm]

I just did a quick trip Chennai - Auroville/Pondy - Kumbakonam - Chennai over the weekend.
Started on Friday afternoon after 2 PM

From Madhyakailash:
Took the OMR till the bypass before Padur to Kelambakkam - Kovalam link road
Crossed over to ECR and followed that till Auroville Reached around 5 PM
Road condition was great right through

After staying overnight at Auroville, started at around 12:
Took the ECR (through Pondy bypass) towards Cuddalore (road surface good but not great)
Took highway 532 to Vadalure (okay road, not divided, but a smooth drive)
Turned left at Vadalure on to Highway 36 to Anaikarai via Sethiatoppu (the road is excellent for the most part - could touch 120 easily. Some parts where there is no divided highway, but wide enough and surface was good)
At Anaikarai the bridges over the Kollidam are extremely narrow and only one way traffic is possible which is well-regulated - may need around 25 - 30 mins to cross that section
The rest of the road till Kumbakonam is okay. Reached hotel at Kumbakom at around 4

Overnight at Kumbakonam and started back for Chennai at 1:30:
Took the route SH140 to Jayankondam (too many speed breakers and lot of traffic on a narrow road)
Continued on SH140 till Vriddhachalam (road expansion makes progress very slow - becomes a single lane for two-way traffic which means oncoming traffic has to climb down on the gravelled road)
Continued on SH 140 to Ulundurupet. Road was good, partly divided stretches
Joined Trichy - Chennai highway at Ulundurupet.
Great road after that, but very high density traffic
The rainstorm on the Chengleput - Tambaram stretch slowed us down quite a bit.
Tambaram to Madhyakailash was crowded and slow, especially near Chromepet.
Back at Madhyakailash at 8 PM

Google Maps and Android auto showed this to be the quickest route from Kumbakonam. Would have preferred a longer and more comfortable one. Perhaps I should have turned off at Jayankondam and headed towards Trichy - Chennai highway.

[DeepCarTalk]

BHPians, need help to chart my route for the following temple trip :
1. Chennai to Oppiliappan temple
2. Oppliappan temple to trichy (vekkaliamman temple)
3. Trichy to Chennai
Might do it over 2 days or within 36 hours with one sleep stop. Need help with 1 and 2


1. From what I understand after going through last few pages,
1a : chennai - ulundurpet - vridhachalam town - sethiathoppu - anaikkarai bridge - kumbakonam
1b : chennai - veppur - vridhachalam bypass - sethiathoppu - anaikkarai bridge - kumbakonam
1c : chennai - ulundurpet - vridhachalam town - jayamkondam - T palur - kumbakonam
1d : chennai - veppur - vridhachalam bypass - jayamkondam - T palur - kumbakonam
1e (this is gmaps suggestion) : chennai - ECR - pondy bypass - cuddalore - kurinjipadi - vadalur junction (take left) - sethiathoppu - anaikkarai bridge - kumbakonam

out of this, 1a,1b are plagued with unaccountable delays crossing anaikkarai & 1c,1d are plagued with road construction and humps every 1km. Q : did I miss anything here ? No idea at all about 1e.



2. completely unknown to me, except the fact that I am aware of how bad kumbakonam to thanjavur was around 2 yrs ago (full of potholes) and how thanjavur to trichy 4L highway enables quick coverage of distance. Other than these two roads through which I travelled, there seem to by myriad options which I am unable to even shortlist and make sense of. Please help.


My only consideration is road surface, and only concern is bottom scraping (will be full load passengers and luggage) - I don't mind extra distance, as I drive lowGC car

[Arun_S]

Originally Posted by DeepCarTalk

1. From what I understand after going through last few pages,
1a: chennai - ulundurpet - vridhachalam town - sethiathoppu - anaikkarai bridge - kumbakonam
1b : chennai - veppur - vridhachalam bypass - sethiathoppu - anaikkarai bridge - kumbakonam
1c: chennai - ulundurpet - vridhachalam town - jayamkondam - T palur - kumbakonam
1d : chennai - veppur - vridhachalam bypass - jayamkondam - T palur - kumbakonam
1e (this is gmaps suggestion) : chennai - ECR - pondy bypass - cuddalore - kurinjipadi - vadalur junction (take left) - sethiathoppu - anaikkarai bridge - kumbakonam

My only consideration is road surface, and only concern is bottom scraping (will be full load passengers and luggage) - I don't mind extra distance, as I drive lowGC car

Returned only yesterday from Kumbakonam.

All the routes are problematic. I returned via 1d, from Jayamkondam all the way to Vridhachalam road expansion is happening full of stones.

If you don't mind adding 50 Kms then, you can go via
Chennai- Ariyalur - Thiruvaiyaru-Kumbakonam.

From Ariyalur it is 2 way road, there will be speed breakers, but you can negotiate it if you drive slowly.

Good roads, while going i went in this way only, the time taken both ways was the same.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Arun_S

All the routes are problematic. I returned via 1d, from Jayamkondam all the way to Vridhachalam road expansion is happening full of stones.

Where is this expansion happening? You mean Jayamkondam-Vridhchalam bypass?

[Arun_S]

Originally Posted by ampere

Where is this expansion happening? You mean Jayamkondam-Vridhchalam bypass?

The entire stretch from Jayamkondam to Vridhchalam bypass they are expanding the roads and constructing drains on both sides.

Currently they have put stones on one side and compacting it.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Arun_S

The entire stretch from Jayamkondam to Vridhchalam bypass they are expanding the roads and constructing drains on both sides.

Currently they have put stones on one side and compacting it.

Thank you for clarifying! Then like you said there goes the last of the good roads to Kumbakonam. How is Sethiyatthope to Anaikarai? Have the number of diversions come down? Because most of the 4-laning was nearly done I thought.

[Arun_S]

Originally Posted by ampere

Thank you for clarifying! Then like you said there goes the last of the good roads to Kumbakonam. How is Sethiyatthope to Anaikarai? Have the number of diversions come down? Because most of the 4-laning was nearly done I thought.

Sorry, I have no idea.

Having lived in that area, I know the pains in that route. I avoid that route as much as possible especially due to the bridge.