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The railway is gate is closed once at almost every 10 to 15minute interval.On an average there are almost 80 to 90 trains passing through this crossing in a 24hr interval.Once the gates open,it takes another 20minutes to clear the jam caused by the previous closure by which time the gate is closed again.During peak hours the jam extends all the way upto Ottupara on the shoranur side and till Wadakancheri railway station on the thrissur side(which are both at a kilometer's distance from the gate).Then there is the added attraction of the gate getting jammed every now and then and the technician has to come all the way from Thrissur to unlock it!For the past one year train speeds have been regulated to 30kph while passing the gate due to construction work in progress which means adding upto the gate closure timings

With this bridge all these things disappear and traffic flow would be maintained thereby seeing a huge improvement in drive timings

Hi - we are returning back to Mumbai on April 28 from Kumarakom. The Mumbai-Kerala is pretty much decided:
Mumbai - Bangalore - Salem -Dindigul - Theni - Munnar.

However, need suggestions on best route to take from Kumarakom - Mumbai leaving April 28 with a single night halt at Chitradurga or Hubli.

Google maps shows a route of Kochi - Thrissur - Gudalur - Gundlupet -Mysore and joining NH4 somewhere north of Sira.

Read on this and some other threads to go through Sathyamangala, Chamrajanagar etc. How do I avoid going through Coimbatore on this road. Also - which is the best point to join NH 4 if I take this road?

Third option is kochi - Salem - Bangalore, but that seems to be adding 100+kms. I dont mind this option if its a faster option.

I would like to avoid city traffic of Coimbatore, Mysore etc. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

NH through Trichur-Palghat-Salem-Bangalore should be the fastest one with good roads. There are good reports on Satyamangala route and its good for a day drive. You may please check few posts earlier in this thread to know more about Satyamangalam route.

You will get more options at Hubli for night halt. Hotel Metropolis is one budget hotel. You may check Naveen Residency or Aishwarya Fort for Chitradurga.

Just came back from Tirur to Bangalore via Calicut-Bathery. IN the section from Border to Chundale(after Kalpetta) Roads are patchy as compared to the stretch before and after. On the return journey noticed a few potholes in this stretch. Looks like the left side of this road when coming to Bangalore is little worse than the right side. But overall great roads and a good drive.

Side Note 1: Was pleasantly surprised by the road works done in Calicut City, especially the beach road. Beautifully done up and nicely marked. Not the usual pot hole patch works. Hope the quality is as good as it looks and feels when we drive.

Side Note 2: Also drove to Tirur from Calicut via Chettipadi-Parappanangadi-Tanur. The roads works on this stretch have been completed and is now super smooth.

Agree with you 100%! Had travelled from Vattathani, near Tirur to Kozhikode via Tanur-Parappanagadi-Chettipadi-Chelari-NH66-Ramanattukara last week! The entire stretch was relaid recently and is in excellent condition. The stretch between Chettipadi and Chelari which used to be a nightmare for many years is now in pristine condition although it is still 2 lane, bit narrow and undivided!
BTW, why did you not chose to take the shorter option from Tirur via Manjeri-Nilambur-Vazhikadavu-Gudalur-Bandipur-Gundlupet? The route is also in decent condition as per many reports!

I would prefer the Salem-Bangalore route, being the simplest and fastest.

Interior routes are many, but I would avoid the Mysore-Nagamangala-Huliyar-Hiriyur route although it is not bad.

From Kumarakom, keep going - there are many hotel options on NH4, at Tumkur, Chitradurga, Davangere, etc.

Recently travelled to Wayanad and took the road via Kanakpura - Malavalli - Kollegal - Chamarajnagar - Gundlupet - Bathery- Kalpetta. The update is posted on this link -> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2745696

Thanks
Rajesh

On the onward journey I had to drop a relative at Bathery, hence went via Calicut. Return also this person was supposed to join in but dropped at the last minute. I had planned for 6am start from Tirur targeting Woodlands in Kalpetta for breakfast, Was not sure if there were any decent places for breakfast on the Gudalur route (Only one I know off was the one just before the entrance to the forest after Gudalur).

Was travelling with my wife, 1 yr old daughter and my 2 young nieces who were first timers on a long drive. So could not afford any issues with respect to food and rest rooms. Also, in my experience, the Nadugani ghats is more Nausea inducing than the Wayanad ghats :). Hence stuck to the Wayanad route.

Did a Quik Munnar trip during end of last week.

Perinthalmanna-Shornur-Thrissur-Angamali-Kothamangalam-Munnar was the UP route.
Roads are all the way good in General. Perinthalmanna to Pattambi: surface is of average quality. Took some extra time to pass Thrissur - didn't really explore ways to bye pass the city. I was travelling through the new toll road for the first time. Really satisfying and huge huge relief from the earlier condition (from few years back when I last travelled this stretch). The entire climbing part to Munnar also was super good. Width could have been better at some points though. Reached mid evening time. Very chilly slight drizzle. Enjoyed the climate much - a great break from HOTNESS elsewhere. This was the only take away ;)

We chose to return DOWN via a different route, so chose to go via udumalpet. Very scenic first part, so too the good roads. Thanked in mind, a shop keeper who suggested to take this route for its scenic views. Took a lot of snaps too. Soon situation changed along with the climate. It was getting to noon and weather was back to dry and hot with similar back drops. and it was hot by time we passed Marayur. Roads were not-good to bad to worse at stretches and narrow too. The blind turns hence seemed very risky at times. Add to that short delay while logging of your travel at 3 different forest checking points. It was all HOT HOT at Udumalpet during lunch time, and there after. Soon from Udumalpet, around Pollachi and after, roads again became Heaven, 5th gear back into use! Gave a short visit to Palakkad Fort and Malampuzha too. Took the Palakkad-Kongad-Perinthalmanna route thinking of saving time being 8 to 9 km shorter. But even with scanty traffic, couldnt keep pace owing to twists and turns and narrower roads when compared to NH via Mannarkkad (add to that the twilight time).

Distances were similar both ways though different routes. Around 210-230 kms and was done in a Santro Xing.

Cheers

Hi - got confused here.

Are you suggesting:

Kumarakom - Kochi - Thrissur - Avinashi - Salem
or
Kumarakom - kottayam - Theni - Dindigul - Salem

He must have suggesting Kumarakom-Kochi-Trichur-Avinasi-Salem. That is the supposed fast route. There could be little bit of widening diversions etc. but the rest is great roads.
I am a Cochin-man: Start the earliest, say 4 am to cover our beloved city Cochin famous for heavy traffic ! Tons of money coming as forex remittance: we all have 1 car per person.:D
Better pass Trichur too by max. 7 am, you are saved....
After Trichur ask to turn right through Nemmaara, pollachi to Avinasi to enter highway and to Salem to enter GQ.
Trichur Palakkad is horribly potholed, avoid it throu the above route.

Thanks be in Kerala: Hope you enjoyed despite our friendly mosquitoes and few inconveniences. COME AGAIN !

The other option would be:

Kumarakom-Kottayam-Kanjirapally-Kumily-Theni-Dindigul-Salem-Bangalore- and there on.

This avoids both CBE and Mysore and you get good views till Theni.

As Sunney said, I also meant the Trissur-Avinashi-Bangalore route

Planning BLR-EKM-BLR this weekend and i wanted to try this to avoid the usual Thrissur-Palakkad-Avinashi route. Can anyone explain this route a bit more in detail?

before you decide on this route , do confirm whether the bridge construction on Pollachi-wadakkancherry route is complete.

If it is done, I would suggest you deviate off NH 47 at perundurai , rather than going to Avinashi and then on to Pollachi, as in this route, I think you will have to cross Tiruppur town, which might be a headache even if you have a GPS in place.

If you deviate at Parundurai, proceed towards kangeyam, on to palladam,pollachi, wadakkancherry where in you rejoin NH47