[raghunandanj]

NH 47 Road Condition Report - December 2012

NH 47 is a highway of high commerical and strategical importance. Not only is it the backbone of Kerala, it is also the only major highway through the Palakkad gap, proving the gates to Kerala for heavy vehicles and trucks alike.

Recently, I had the experience of driving to Kottayam on NH 47 and thought it best to prepare a road conditions report on what I experienced. Though I did not traverse the entire length of NH 47, I did cover most of it, and it would be good if someone can add on the remaining sections to make this report a ready reckoner for drivers into Kerala from Tamil Nadu.

Section 1 - Tamil Nadu ( Salem - Avinashi )
Section 2 - Tamil Nadu ( Avinashi - Walayar )
Section 3 - Kerala ( Walayar - Thrissur )
Section 4 - Kerala ( Thrissur - Cherthala )
Section 5 - Kerala ( Cherthala - Thiruvanthapuram )
Section 6 - Kerala and Tamil Nadu ( Thiruvanthapuram - Kanyakumari )


Section 1
Tamil Nadu ( Salem - Avinashi )
NH 47 begins in Salem at the junction with NH 7 and as expected, is a dual carriageway with atleast 2 lanes on each carriageway all through Bhavani, Perundurai, Vijayamangalam and Avinashi. Road curvature and design is fantastic and it is not risky to attempt higher speeds in taller vehicles with a higher COG.

Tarmac Condition : Excellent
Carriageways : 2
Lanes : Atleast 2 on each carriageway
User Fee Charged? : Yes
Exits clearly Marked : Yes
Restaurants : No
Fuel Stations : Yes




Section 2
Tamil Nadu ( Avinashi - Walayar )

NH 47 road conditions begin to deteriorate after Avinashi as the laning work is still in progress, and in some places, halted for a very long time. This section, through Karumathampatti all the way up to Neelanmbur is literally quite a nightmare to drive on, as drivers are expected to switch sides very frequently, and struggle under half-built flyovers. To add to the problems, the usable sections have poorly marked lanes, and access to local businesses ( shops, fuel stations, etc ) are very limited and hard to find. Certain junctions are unpaved and the high traffic density only adds to the problems. It is indeed suprising to see such appalling conditions coupled with erratic driving from bus drivers and truck drivers. This is a risky stretch during nights, especially with high intensity headlights blinding the eyes.
The Coimbatore by-pass continues to remain a single carriageway with user access fee and a total of 6 toll gates, testing the patience after the bad stretch from Avinashi.These toll booths are heavily understaffed, funnelling all traffic into a single inspection counter on 6 instances. This 20 km stretch just seems endless.
Beyond the tolled section, the last section of NH 47 towards the Kerala border is infested with trucks, and is in desperate need of widening and infrastructure uplift. It is really surprising to note that though this section is the main gateway to Kerala without any mountainous stretch and is close to Coimbatore, which in itself is such an important industrial and commerical hub, the state of NH 47 here is still to cope up with the needs of the region.

Tarmac Condition : Poor
Carriageways : 1
Lanes : 1
User Fee Charged? : Yes( Coimbatore Bypass Only )
Exits clearly Marked : Yes
Restaurants : Yes
Fuel Stations : Yes




Section 3
Kerala ( Walayar - Thrissur )

Walayar has always been infamous for being a bottle-neck during Kerala entry. The road conditions hardly improve, and urbanization all along the highway through to Palakkad has taken its toll on the road conditions.
Interestingly, the section of NH 47 between Palakkad and Thrissur is not quite great. It is a single carriageway top begin with, and the traffic density is far too high. Certain sections near Vadakkancherry have some potholes that could be dangerous to low clearance sedans and are in poor condition. However, as observed all through Kerala, the road sense and discipline among drivers is exemplary, which is the only saving grace in this section.

Tarmac Condition : Medium to Poor
Carriageways : 1
Lanes : 1
User Fee Charged? : No
Exits clearly Marked : Not Applicable
Restaurants : Yes
Fuel Stations : Yes




Section 4
Kerala ( Thrissur - Cherthala )

Thrissur bypass heralds the birth of a new NH 47, with dual carriageways and two lines on each of them. What a relief it was, after experiencing bad conditions all the way from Avinashi ! Though it is tolled from this point, the quality of the road makes your money worth it.
However, as you near Angamaly, the traffic conditions can turn for the worse. I had to drive through bumper-to-bumper traffic from 2 kms this side of Angamaly town all through to Aluva. The locals blamed the bus station and a multiplex for the chaos, but I really failed to understand the reason. It was nothing short of irritating, especially with the sun beating down on windows without sun film. Watch out for this notoriously crowded section. It is all urban all the way down up to Aroor.
Beyond Aluva it was as good as urban traffic, with huge pile-ups at every signal through Edapally and Vytilla. The condition began to ease out only after crossing over into Alappuzha district. After Aroor, NH 47 was a dream to drive on until I got off at Chertala to head over Thannermukkom into Kumarakom and Kottayam.

Tarmac Condition : Excellent
Carriageways : 2
Lanes : Atleast 2 on each carriageway
User Fee Charged? : Yes
Exits clearly Marked : Yes
Restaurants : Yes
Fuel Stations : Yes




Can someone add the road conditions information beyond Alappuzha all the way down to Kanyakumari, if they recently drove through it ?

[DicKy]

Don't know much about the route and also can't give an accurate picture about Aluva till Thiruvananthapuram.

But still, if am right Thrissur till Aluva is a 4 lane dual carriageway highway. Well after that it's not so rosy picture.

Till Thiruvananthapuram:-Till about Karunagapally, the roads are broken tarmac with the old single carriageway. From Karunagapally the road surface condition gets better, but the traffic doesn't . Also till Thiruvananthapuram,in most of the small towns en route the road widens with a median that helps in traffic calming to an extent if you can call that.

The highway passes right through the middle of Kollam city in all of city road traffic glory.Heard a bypass was being constructed/proposed bypassing Kollam city, but don't know much about it.

Between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram the road conditions are good and without traffic would be a joy to drive, but that's not the case. Narrow roads, heavy traffic from cyclists to trailors and pedestrians on a suicide mission make it difficult to drive, but the worse is yet to come...

two highways ,two stories:- After passing the Thonnakal BP COCO pump(arguably the best infra wise in south Kerala) you reach Kazhakootam. Here the road splits into two.
1.the bypass
2.the NH.

First the bypass. - Conceived some decades ago to act as an alternate route to the NH47 and land acquired on both side,it still remains how it was a decade ago. Narrow single carriageway with speeding vehicles, it becomes blind driving at night with nary a street light and hi-beam shot at your face.Only respite is that pedestrians or slow moving traffic are lesser compared to the old road.The road goes only till Kovalam and proposals are going on to extend it to Tamilnadu and make it a proper highway on BOT basis, but all these are remaining on paper.

2. The old highway. - An ordinary single carriage highway with heavy traffic, it somehow manages to disappear at Sreekaryam, only to resurface at Karamana. Till then you have to navigate through the city main roads which isn't a bad thing considering they are the best in the state, but still they are city roads,not a highway.

Karamana-Kaliyikavila stretch:- The infamous stretch, am able to say about it with confidence cause my home is right on the side of the road.

From Karamana to Kaliyikavila the NH47 surface is good, proper road signs telling you what to do/what not to, cat eye reflectors lining the blind corner, road studs in the middle of the road forcing you to stay in your lane et al, but unless someone tells you that it's an NH, you would mistake it for a city road. Kerala urban development follows the linear pattern of settling by the sides of the road, but here it takes an all new level.
Small towns and urban centres one after the other for 30kms, the width varies from 10-15m. Everything from seasonal bullock carts, trailor trucks, buses stopping in middle of the road to drop/pick up passengers causing long traffic blocks, speeding usual car traffic, hordes of commuter bikers in rush hour in addition to pedestrians walking on the roadside, trying to cross the road. Just think of it as a continous stretch of urban road running 30kms with an average speed of 20km/h except during midnight..

Upon reaching Kaliyikavila, the road surface starts to change for the worst. Same road width and traffic as karamana-kaliyikavila but bad surface condition with potholes trying to swallow small hatchback's tyres.
From Nagercoil you have to take some cuts and turns to reach Kanyakumari, but the road conditions remain the same, except a small stretch from Tirechendur to Kanyakumari which is part of NHAI North-South corridor and is thus a 2lane dual carriageway.
Maybe fellow BHPians living nearby can give more details.

[noblecr]

As a usual commuter between Trivandrum and Ernakulm I could say something about the road condition of NH47

raghunandanj has already described excellently about the condition of the road till Cherthala

I am just subdividing the Cherthala - Thiruvanthapuram section for improved detailing.

Cherthala to Alleppey the present condition is fine. Recently done some decent retarring works that eliminates most of the potholes.

Tarmac Condition : Good
Carriageways : 1
Lanes : 1
User Fee Charged? : No
Restaurants : Yes (Travancore Palace, cherthala, KTDC tamarind, Alleppey, Prince Hotel, Alleppey )
Fuel Stations : Yes

Alleppey to Haripad - Even though some patchwork has done recently, the road condition is not good. I think they forget to tar a few number of potholes. Bumper to bumper traffic on Alleppey town at day time and at night full of lorries. I have always seen the entrance and exit points of a byepass road which has been partially constructed years back. Now it is a parking bay for trailers.

Tarmac Condition : Bad
Carriageways : 1
Lanes : 1
User Fee Charged? : No
Restaurants : Yes
Fuel Stations : Yes

Haripad to Ochira(ending point of Alleppey dist) - Good retarring has done till Nangiarkulangara after that patches done till Ochira but it has already broken now. Road condition for that 15 kms is poor.

Tarmac Condition : Bad
Carriageways : 1
Lanes : 1
User Fee Charged? : No
Restaurants : Yes (ICH, Haripad, KTDC motel aaram, kayamkulam, a few other hotels are also there.)
Fuel Stations : Yes

Ochira to Kazhakuttam - Road surface is smooth but traffic blocks are there at Karunagapally, Kollam and Attingal. Kollam byepass is halfway under construction. Some big turns are there just before reaching Kollam city. Best time to drive through this stretch is after 10pm, excellent road and no traffic block. Beware of police interceptors at Chavara on day time.

Tarmac Condition : Good
Carriageways : 1
Lanes : 1
User Fee Charged? : No
Restaurants : Yes (AR Restaurant, near Sakthikulangara and some good restaurants are there at Kazhakuttam.)
Fuel Stations : Yes

[raghunandanj]

Thanks everyone for your inputs, so essentially, in a nutshell, here's what drivers need to know about NH 47 as of December 2012 :

1. The NH is tolled continuously in TN upto Avinashi, and the Coimbatore bypass. The only non-tolled sections are the Avinashi-Neelambur section and the KG Chavadi-Walayar section. There are less tolled sections in Kerala when compared to Tamil Nadu, but the best section does not last more than 125 km.

2. Do not plan your journeys based on the estimated driving times provided by any mapping system, as traffic conditions are very dynamic in Kerala, especially around the Ernakulam area and further south thereafter.

3. There is no dearth of value-for-money family restaurants and fuel stations all along the highway in Kerala. Most of them are easily accessible for the elderly and kids alike. However, they are few and far between in Tamil Nadu.

4. Journeys in low-clearance sedans between Vadakkencherry and Thrissur can be a little challenging and uncomfortable due to the batch patches and deep potholes. This section is about 30 km long.

More information from others is most welcome to make this thread useful to all !

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by raghunandanj

3. There is no dearth of value-for-money family restaurants and fuel stations all along the highway in Kerala. Most of them are easily accessible for the elderly and kids alike. However, they are few and far between in Tamil Nadu.

4. Journeys in low-clearance sedans between Vadakkencherry and Thrissur can be a little challenging and uncomfortable due to the batch patches and deep potholes. This section is about 30 km long.

More information from others is most welcome to make this thread useful to all !

Surprised to hear that even after a year plus in tatters, the road conditions is horrible. Gone are the days when it was a pleasure to drive on that road between Palakkad and Thrissur. It had a great surface, awesome curves and very little traffic back in the days. Now taking your good cars there is a recipe for disaster. Potholes, crazy high traffic, and crazy bus drivers!

[naveen.raju]

I would say atleast 15-20 kms of bad sections between Thrissur and Palghat (not bad when compared to it's condition in 2011). Here's my report from Current condition of road to kerala thread.

1) EKM to Thrissur - A pleasure to drive
2) Thrissur to Palghat - I would say max of 20 kms of bad patches with huge craters (one huge crater in front of Hotel Diana). The roads are smooth right after the place where you get banana chips (forgot the name).
3) Coimbatore to Avinashi - Few bad patches but not bad. Watch out for huge dips on bridges here.
4) After that it's fantastic. Many diversions near Hosur.

Started from Vytilla at 4am and reached Koramangala at 11.30am. This shows that the overall condition isnt all that bad.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by raghunandanj

Tamil Nadu ( Salem - Avinashi )
Restaurants : No

Wondering why you mentioned there are no restaurants on this stretch.
Near the Sankari toll there is a Saravana Inn on the highway itself.
Also, there are a few restaurants all very close to each other on either side of the highway in Perundurai (Annalakshmi, Aaryas, etc).

[noblecr]

There is something to cheer up for the motorists who frequently take NH 47 to travel between Kochi and Trivandrum.

The re-tarring jobs of Haripad - Ochira stretch has now reached near Kayamkulam bridge as on Sunday, 6th of Jan 2013.

Now there is no point in taking any substitute route for better tarmac condition or to save time.

[noblecr]

After one and half months break I travelled back and forth between Kazhakuttam and Ernakulam(to be exact N.Paravoor). Thought of updating or alerting those who are planning for a drive in this route so that you can be cautious. I should say the only easy to go stretch in this entire portion of NH 47 is from Ochira to Haripad. The road is at it's worst near Alapuzha. We cant drive confidently even in 3rd gear.

From Cherthala to Aroor we have frequent potholes on the road. Some times it appears in the middle of the road and some times on the sides. And trust me these potholes are more dangerous than the utter bad roads of Alapuzha coz when a person who is driving at an above average speed notices the potholes from a short distance may tend to apply sudden break and you might loose control of the vehicle and chances of collisions are high.

[philgrac]

An update on NH 47 (Thiruvandapuram to Palakkad)

During last week, made a trip from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram through NH 47. Upto Cherthalai, thanks to the patch works done, condition was good except for the bridges and the toll area. As usual Alappuzha, Kollam towns were fair. Beyond Kollam upto Kazhakkuttam is average. Took TVM by pass to arrive near Palayam. Return was also exactly on the same route. Generally the road condition was better than expected and took less than the anticipated time.

Yesterday, was a trip to Palakkad and back, departure Kochi around 1130 and arrived Palakkad at 1430, with a half an hour lunch break. Roads upto Angamali with heavy traffic, Angamali to Ollur with a close watch on the Speedometer (not to exceed 70 Kmph), Ollur to Mannuthy- construction in hand, but the deep craters are patched up, better than what it was a month ago. Mannuthy to Vadakkencherry- Good improvement and the condition is good but a lot of slow moving traffic (who does not like to be overtaken!). From Vadakkencherry to Palakkad was also okay drive, with a lot of patched up pot holes. Overall condition-Good. When the Mannuthy-Vadakkencherry section was in a horrible shape, i was taking Mannuthy-Viyoor-Shornur-Ottapalam-Palakkad route. Now there is no need to do that.

Note: As I was searching for the latest updates on these roads, could find only the July 2013. As we all know, Kerala road conditions change drastically, almost on every week, feel it should be updated frequently. I am sure a lot of BHPians are on these roads every day. So, let us update these threads regularly soon after each trip.

Safe & Happy drives !
Philgrac

[NPV]

Originally Posted by philgrac

An update on NH 47 (Thiruvandapuram to Palakkad)
...
Note: As I was searching for the latest updates on these roads, could find only the July 2013. As we all know, Kerala road conditions change drastically, almost on every week, feel it should be updated frequently. I am sure a lot of BHPians are on these roads every day. So, let us update these threads regularly soon after each trip.

More upto date reports of the Kerala road conditions are in this thread which is very active - Link

[Boomerang]

Kuthiran update: 1st July 2017

If you are traveling from Thrissur to Palakad, please keep 30-40mins. as buffer time to pass Kuthiran. Tunnels are not open yet and the queue is pretty long. Road isn't bad for day/night travel. Just make sure you make way for those unruly private bus drivers. they are the ones who jam the place.

Whereas, travel from Palakad to Thrissur, you pass through pretty quickly. No delay.

Here are few pictures from a 6:30AM pass through.