[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Cooltronics

What all did I gain ?
a) Beautiful scenic road covered by trees and blooming gulmohar throughout
b) No speed breakers
c) Good roads (not excellent but you can drive peacefully at 100 Km/Hr without worrying for uncertainties)
d) Saved on the toll : EC --> Kanakpura exit toll is nearly half that of EC --> Mysore road toll
e) Time taken to reach Mysore is faster or at the maximum same.
f) Got a better mileage as I could cruise effortlessly in 6th gear at 90 km/hr for miles without worrying albeit overtaking.

What all did I loose ?
a) 4 lane road : 2 lane roads are a tad risky but if you are a non aggressive driver, not taking risks it should not be a problem as traffic is scarce
b) Eateries : Almost nil eateries but who cares if you plan well
c) Road from Bennur to Mysore is not that good but still way better than Bangalore city roads

We did the same thing two weeks back. Went to a riverside near Srirangapatna through mysore road which took us four hours, due to the horrible speedbreakers, horrible traffic and jams.

While coming back, kept a constant pace of 100kmph on Kanakpura road. Zero traffic, not much villages, well paved roads, and almost no humps, forget potholes. Also got a better mileage too, since it was a calm and sedate drive. Though the roads were inviting better speed, I didnt go above 100 since there were a few notorious curves and since my family were taking a relaxed look at the surroundings, I didnt want to involve harsh braking, etc.

Until the Mysore road mess is sorted out, I am not going there again. NEVER. Eateries arent available in this route but it doesnt act as a deterrent since due to reduction in travel time, we can always refresh in the end points. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive.

[ramzsys]

Although traffic free, the NH209 is still a 2 lane road passing through the rural hinterland which has it's own share of people, dogs and cows springing up all of a sudden; So a 80 kmph is the maximum speed suggested.

[Cooltronics]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Although traffic free, the NH209 is still a 2 lane road passing through the rural hinterland which has it's own share of people, dogs and cows springing up all of a sudden; So a 80 kmph is the maximum speed suggested.

Even at the speed of 80 Km/hr you can reach Mysore more stress free and relaxed. My experience driving here was that road side farms and lands are quite open & hence you can easily gauge dogs & cows, it wont come as a surprise like it comes on highways engulfed by bushes on either side. At 100, you are still safe and totally on control for any eventualities. As with case of people in riral hinterland, I found more people and congestion near Mandya and other towns on way to Mysore on Mysore Road then Kanakpura Road.

[audioholic]

Compared to Mysore road, Kanakpura road is any day safer, be it 80 or 100. I have had people and mini vans run across the road, forget dogs and cows. Havent faced a single such event though this is not the first time I went on the NH209. Of course once we near bangalore the route gets dense, but by this time majority of the distance would have been covered.

Most of the Kanakpura stretch is straight, and with a considerable amount of shoulder which will help us spot any probable obstacles easily and I was really relaxed driving that route compared to the morning drive on Mysore road.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Compared to Mysore road, Kanakpura road is any day safer, be it 80 or 100.
Most of the Kanakpura stretch is straight, and with a considerable amount of shoulder which will help us spot any probable obstacles easily and I was really relaxed driving that route compared to the morning drive on Mysore road.

The only hitch that i can think of are the narrow roads near kollegal wherein at a time only 1 vehicle can go through. Apart from this good roads all the way till Chamarajanagar.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

The only hitch that i can think of are the narrow roads near kollegal wherein at a time only 1 vehicle can go through. Apart from this good roads all the way till Chamarajanagar.

As you said its beyond Kollegal. For driving to Mysore, that section may not be touched. The real bad part is Malavalli-Bannur-Mysore section of SH33. If that section can be made better, commute times can improve.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by ampere

The real bad part is Malavalli-Bannur-Mysore section of SH33. If that section can be made better, commute times can improve.

We had been to Mahadevpura, from which I took the route to Bannur - Malavalli - Kanakpura. The roads are fresh and free of potholes. The only thing that was unexpected was this:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...44524907766725

However it was for a small stretch till malavalli and things got ok as soon as that.

[Sivasankar]

Am saddened to hear of this development. Some of the stretches on the Bangalore - Mysore highway have huge age old trees and a lot of greenery. All these may be axed insensibly. I love the road from the bottom of my heart and would hate to see it lose its old world 2 lane charm.

I suggest that activists from all society - farmers, students, professionals, local politicians, environmentalists - sit down with the contractors and the Government to make sure they align the lanes to by pass the trees, transplant them to locations which would need them and generally ensure the enviroment is protected.

[srishiva]

Is the NICE-BMIC thing gone forever? How would people be willing to give their lands to widening of the existing road and not for BMIC?
Disgusting politics.

[speedmiester]

Absolute hogwash. I drove down from mysore yesterday night.
The road still has the same number of humps. There have not removed any of the existing humps, only way they can claim to have reduced the number of humps is by scrapping the plans to build more humps.

[ashbhat2]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Absolute hogwash. I drove down from mysore yesterday night.
The road still has the same number of humps. There have not removed any of the existing humps, only way they can claim to have reduced the number of humps is by scrapping the plans to build more humps.

I second you on that.. I had driven down to Mysore for the weekend. None of the humps have been removed. The only difference now from say 3 moths ago is that the monstrosity of the humps has reduced a little bit as they have smoothened out few of the humps while re-laying the asphalt. ( Ramanagar especially, the humps there were humongous )
All the humps are very much there. The worst being the set of humps while coming towards Bangalore after Chennapatna ( next to the Chennaptna lake ) Every weekend, there is a traffic jam here, sometimes km's together because of the horribly laid humps. High time the concerned authorities pull these humps down.

[ambivalent_98]

I was just driving this highway on the weekend. The speedhumps are still there. But in general this highway needs major work in terms of creating bypasses to the cities. THat is the pain point apart from the speed humps. The distance is 140 kms which is normally 2 hrs non-stop on any of the GQ roads. Considering the traffic that passes this important road it should be made 6 lanes with suitable bypasses for the major cities of flyovers at least.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

Considering the traffic that passes this important road it should be made 6 lanes with suitable bypasses for the major cities of flyovers at least.

IMO 6 lanes may not be required. In the existing set up, building flyovers at major intersections in towns will help in reducing the traffic to a large extent.

[ambivalent_98]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

IMO 6 lanes may not be required. In the existing set up, building flyovers at major intersections in towns will help in reducing the traffic to a large extent.

Yes you are right but this would be a stopgap measure. Also imagine the pains the locals would have to go through with all those flyovers coming up.

I really wished that the NICE expressway to Mysore that has been stopped would be re-triggered by resolving the problem that exists. I am sure the route surveyed would have been away from the populated areas , well isolated and would make commuting to Mysore maybe 90 minutes or even lesser.

[Sivasankar]

I had taken the Malavalli - Bannur route to return to Mysore after a day trip to Nanjangud, Talakad and Shivanasamudra Falls last December. Dusk was falling when we left the Madhyaranga temple and started the trip. I encountered a Y junction just after the bridge with right marked Bangalore and the left just said Mysore. I was mulling over whether to head back the way I came or go ahead when a KSRTC bus came by. I asked the driver for advise and he asked me to go ahead. We drove several kms down the narrow road with almost zero traffic save for farmers on cycles returning home in the darkness. I stopped as I encountered a T junction and the same bus driver who was behind us having made all his stops came to the rescue. He said he had to turn left at the T and asked me to continue right. I did a good 70 - 80 kmph in the deserted but really good road which I realised was running thru hundreds of acres of fertile fields.

We passed unexpected tourism signboards that marked the distance to reach Maharajah's Palace in Mysore. Atleast they gave me the confidence that I was headed in the right direction.

The farmers cycling back home from the fields and the deserted smooth road surrounded by darkness (demostrated its intensity to my slightly terrified family by switching the music and lights off) will forever remain etched in my mind