Chennai to Tirunelveli Trip

Gansan · 22nd August 2010, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

Also what is the 4L status of Madurai Tuticorin? I know Madurai-Trichy is all done.

I think you mean the Madurai - Aruppukottai - Tuticorin section?

I went to Tuticorin by bus a couple of days back. This section seems to be complete till the point we deviate to enter the town, but for some reason all vehicles use only one half of the road for the last 20 KM or so.

Returned by bus again up to Virudhunagar yesterday, from where I was to catch the Nellai exp back to chennai. The road up to Ettayapuram was fantastic, made me feel good just to look at it! From E'puram my bus deviated to Kovilpatti, and from there the NH till V'nagar superb..

BTW the bus I boarded (Vivegam) at Tambaram took exactly 9 hours to reach Tuticorin town, including a couple of breaks, a traffic grid lock of 30 minutes from Vandalur to Guduvanchery and blinding rain somewhere between Perambalur - Trichy which lasted for half an hour!

hvkumar · 22nd August 2010, 09:26

That is a useful update, thanks, Gansan.
With the 4-laning of this Madurai-Tuticorin completed, I suppose we have to wait for only NH45 Trichy-Doindigul work to be completed.
I cannot think of any other ongoing 4-laning work, except for NH47 between Avinashi & Coimbatore.
Widening (2-lanes) of NH67 between Coimbatore and Thanjavur via Trichy is still on.

ampere · 22nd August 2010, 09:40

The other thing which I dont understand is why need to name NH like 45A, 45B and 45C. Pretty confusing. They can have different numbers, is it not?
Terrific update there Ganesan! Yes I did mean that section only.

HVK the incomplete work is NH4 from Bangalore to Chennai. But I dont see working happening beyond Mulbagal. Not sure why.

Gansan · 22nd August 2010, 12:23

Thanks, HVK and ampere! The section seemed complete from what I could observe of it. As it was during the small hours of the day, naturally I was not awake throughout that stretch. If there are incomplete sections, someone who frequents that route can enlighten us. I request bhpian manim to step forward please!

But what I saw till Ettayapuram on the way back during daylight hours yesterday was fantastic. Everything including the toll booths was in place and seemed operative. My bus, being a govt one, did not stop and just breezed through. I even spotted a couple of highway patrol jeeps.

hvkumar · 22nd August 2010, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

The other thing which I dont understand is why need to name NH like 45A, 45B and 45C. Pretty confusing. They can have different numbers, is it not?

HVK the incomplete work is NH4 from Bangalore to Chennai. But I dont see working happening beyond Mulbagal. Not sure why.

The high numbers suffixed with As and Bs and Cs and Ds indicate they are small offshoots of the mother highways.

Some examples:
NH1A - breaks away from NH1 at Jalandhar and goes via Jammur and Srinagar to Uri
NH8A - breaks away from NH8 at Ahmedabad and goes to Rajkot
NH4A - breaks away at Belgaum and goes to Panaji via Molem

The work being incomplete Mulbagal on NH4 must be because AP may not have taken up the work between the KA border and the TN border via Palmaner and Chittoor. Wonder what is happening in TN from AP border to Wallajahpet.

ampere · 22nd August 2010, 12:47

I agree. But still AP section of NH4 is beautiful 2L. So no complaints, but for the heavy truck traffic.

On the numbering I was aware of that, but if there are too many off-shoots, it really confuses. It took some time for me to digest the NH45 nomenclature.

manim · 22nd August 2010, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

Also what is the 4L status of Madurai Tuticorin?

I did this stretch just one week back.
All the byepasses are over (Kariapatti, Pandalgudi, etc) which is great.
Massive work is still pending near Arrupukottai and close to Madurai (Looks like it will still take years). Also in a lot of places minor work is still going on so they divert all traffic onto the same lanes, so you have to be careful if you drive fast.

However compared to a few months in the past, it is much better, but still a long way for completion.

manim · 22nd August 2010, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I cannot think of any other ongoing 4-laning work...

What about Tuticorin-Tirunelveli, it is in a pathetic condition.
Just a few weeks back work has restarted after 6 long years.
There is one long bridge midway which is only one lane and was built during the British period and not upgraded. Jams occur frequently.

Bottom Torque · 22nd August 2010, 17:00

Nice write up dude.. Guess, you are the one who plans the trips ahead.

For instance, staying at night in Trichy, having lunch at madurai... good.. keep going...

manim · 9th September 2010, 12:09

Drove Tuticorin->Madurai->Tuticorin 4-lane (via Arupukottai) yesterday.
The 4-lane from Tuticorin till Arupukottai (80 kms) is excellent now.
There are still minor works pending though.

The 40 kms between Arupukottai to Madurai is far from over.
Massive works are going on, and it is still a pain to drive.

Overall, compared to the recent past, it is now a great drive.
Hope they finish the above mentioned stretch soon.

ampere · 9th September 2010, 13:25

Also what is the status of NH49? Madurai-Rameshwaram.
Why no 4L of this section? Seems to be an important route.

gopikb · 9th September 2010, 13:28

Manim, thanks for the update. Just yesterday I was searching if there is any update on this stretch between Madurai and Tuticorin through Aruppukottai and could not find any. Thanks for your help in updating it. I am planning to drive to Tuticorin from Bangalore for Deepavali in October. So I will be driving through Madurai by pass road from Dindugal and join this road just after Madurai airport.

Given the road conditions now, how long do you think is needed to drive from Madurai airport to Tuticorin? Is the road between Madurai and Aruppukottai (40kms) very bad that we have to drive very slow on this stretch?

Blue Thunder · 9th September 2010, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan

...BTW the bus I boarded (Vivegam) at Tambaram took exactly 9 hours to reach Tuticorin town, including a couple of breaks, a traffic grid lock of 30 minutes from Vandalur to Guduvanchery and blinding rain somewhere between Perambalur - Trichy which lasted for half an hour!

9 hrs is pretty good, was this a Volvo?

Quote:

Originally Posted by manim

...The 4-lane from Tuticorin till Arupukottai (80 kms) is excellent now...The 40 kms between Arupukottai to Madurai is far from over...Overall, compared to the recent past, it is now a great drive...

That's good to know...also hope they finish the Arupukkotai/Madurai stretch soon.

Gansan · 9th September 2010, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

9 hrs is pretty good, was this a Volvo?

No, it was the usual non-Ac, push-back seat type, what they call executive coach. I think it was an AL

csentil · 9th September 2010, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

Also what is the status of NH49? Madurai-Rameshwaram.
Why no 4L of this section? Seems to be an important route.

I don't think it warrants a 4 lane as there are no major industries in that sector unless you consider going to Rameswaram as one.

Traffic density is also very less.

It will only help the illegal sand mining lorries drive even faster between Madurai and Paramakudi.

We did Rameswaram - Madurai in 3 hrs without any hassles.

22nd August 2010, 09:26	#62
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	That is a useful update, thanks, Gansan. With the 4-laning of this Madurai-Tuticorin completed, I suppose we have to wait for only NH45 Trichy-Doindigul work to be completed. I cannot think of any other ongoing 4-laning work, except for NH47 between Avinashi & Coimbatore. Widening (2-lanes) of NH67 between Coimbatore and Thanjavur via Trichy is still on.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 09:40	#63
ampere Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,952 Thanked: 12,941 Times View My Garage	The other thing which I dont understand is why need to name NH like 45A, 45B and 45C. Pretty confusing. They can have different numbers, is it not? Terrific update there Ganesan! Yes I did mean that section only. HVK the incomplete work is NH4 from Bangalore to Chennai. But I dont see working happening beyond Mulbagal. Not sure why. Last edited by ampere : 22nd August 2010 at 09:42.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 12:23	#64
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,535 Thanked: 5,561 Times	Thanks, HVK and ampere! The section seemed complete from what I could observe of it. As it was during the small hours of the day, naturally I was not awake throughout that stretch. If there are incomplete sections, someone who frequents that route can enlighten us. I request bhpian manim to step forward please! But what I saw till Ettayapuram on the way back during daylight hours yesterday was fantastic. Everything including the toll booths was in place and seemed operative. My bus, being a govt one, did not stop and just breezed through. I even spotted a couple of highway patrol jeeps.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 12:47	#66
ampere Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,952 Thanked: 12,941 Times View My Garage	I agree. But still AP section of NH4 is beautiful 2L. So no complaints, but for the heavy truck traffic. On the numbering I was aware of that, but if there are too many off-shoots, it really confuses. It took some time for me to digest the NH45 nomenclature.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 17:00	#69
Bottom Torque BHPian Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chennai Posts: 86 Thanked: 55 Times	Nice write up dude.. Guess, you are the one who plans the trips ahead. For instance, staying at night in Trichy, having lunch at madurai... good.. keep going...
	() Thanks

9th September 2010, 12:09	#70
manim BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN69 Posts: 820 Thanked: 916 Times	Tuticorin - Madurai Drove Tuticorin->Madurai->Tuticorin 4-lane (via Arupukottai) yesterday. The 4-lane from Tuticorin till Arupukottai (80 kms) is excellent now. There are still minor works pending though. The 40 kms between Arupukottai to Madurai is far from over. Massive works are going on, and it is still a pain to drive. Overall, compared to the recent past, it is now a great drive. Hope they finish the above mentioned stretch soon.
	() Thanks

9th September 2010, 13:25	#71
ampere Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,952 Thanked: 12,941 Times View My Garage	Also what is the status of NH49? Madurai-Rameshwaram. Why no 4L of this section? Seems to be an important route.
	() Thanks

9th September 2010, 13:28	#72
gopikb BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 554 Thanked: 390 Times	Manim, thanks for the update. Just yesterday I was searching if there is any update on this stretch between Madurai and Tuticorin through Aruppukottai and could not find any. Thanks for your help in updating it. I am planning to drive to Tuticorin from Bangalore for Deepavali in October. So I will be driving through Madurai by pass road from Dindugal and join this road just after Madurai airport. Given the road conditions now, how long do you think is needed to drive from Madurai airport to Tuticorin? Is the road between Madurai and Aruppukottai (40kms) very bad that we have to drive very slow on this stretch?
	() Thanks