Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakmuzik (Post 2776007)

2. 26th May(Saturday) - Leave by 5 am to Kannur to reach there by around 10 am.

Even I feel 5 hours Thrissur to Kannur might be little too less. You could add an hour of buffer time to this, because there are lot of spots on Kannur-Kozhikode stretch where you might just get stuck! Even the byepass binai mentioned sometimes get horribly jammed near and around atholi town.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaiks (Post 2776082)

If your destination in Kannur is not in the town, please find out if there are ways to avoid entering the town, since traffic is a mess as one nears Kannur. Its an absolute pain from Chovva to Puthiyatheru.

+1 to this..
You can count on me to guide you bypassing the town if needed. I am basically from Kannur.
Binai, you could have bypassed the town completely and saved a few kms if your target was Mayyil. there are two decent alternatives: Telicherry-Koduvalli-Pinarayi-Chakkarakkal-Chalode-Mayyil or Telicherry-Chovva-Koodali-Chalode-Mayyil.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandsun7 (Post 2776102)

Binai, you could have bypassed the town completely and saved a few kms if your target was Mayyil. there are two decent alternatives: Telicherry-Koduvalli-Pinarayi-Chakkarakkal-Chalode-Mayyil or Telicherry-Chovva-Koodali-Chalode-Mayyil.

I did not touch Kannur town at all. I went via Pinarayi-Ancharakandy-Chalode-Kuttiyattoor. My destination was between Mayyil and Pavannoor Motta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandsun7 (Post 2776102)

Very true. Quilandy, Payyoli, Vadakara, Mahe, Thalassery are some traffic hot-spots. I got stuck at all these points during my journey towards Kannur. Thankfully, I got "police escort" from Vadakara almost till Mahe. (There was a state car running with Police escort - just kept going behind them).

Folks, do all know that Avinasi bypass road (rather service road) is partially complete? Or is it a best kept secret?

I drove to Kerala last weekend and took this bypass service road around Avinasi. Note that the four lane bypass is still under construction. It's the service road adjacent to that which is complete.

When I did a Kerala trip last month, Police were redirecting traffic through this road. Now the direction boards have been removed and there is a small blockade kept on the intersection. But it's still open.

Attaching a shot from google maps on how to take this. While coming from Salem, take the Tiruppur road just before entering Avinasi town towards the left. After about half a kilometer take a right and straight all the way until you reach NH47 intersection.

While coming from Coimbatore, just after turning towards Avinasi town from the proposed 4 lane bypass road, take a right. There is a blockade and you've to go around it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaiks (Post 2775859)

Another stretch of Kozhikode bypass has been opened. They have opened the Malaparamba-Pooladikkunnu stretch of the bypass. One can bypass all the traffic between Malaparamba and Puthiyangadi using this stretch - the distance advantage is only about a km, but the time advantage is huge.

The route is: At Pooladikkunnu, one has to take a right (the bypass ends at a rotary - left goes to Puthiyangadi, while right goes to Kuttiyadi). After taking a right, travel towards Kuttiyadi. About 6kms after Pooladikkunnu, one reaches a place called Atholi. (the places in between are Purakkattiri, Thalakulathur, Andikode) Take a left here. One would pass a long bridge over Korapuzha, and join NH17 at a place called Venganoor. Pooladikkunnu to Atholi is a narrow road, with fairly heavy traffic.

I travelled on the Kozhikode bypass day before yesterday night - fantastic undoubtedly, but at the junction marked straight for Kuttiyadi, I kept going straight - instead of turning left (since sign pointed to Kozhikode city!) - and I ended up taking the NH17 parallel road (fantastic one) which joined NH17 at Koyilandy town! I wish they put a proper sign board at this junction!

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Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 2778346)

Thats good news. Where exactly does this join Quilandy?

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Originally Posted by mallumowgli (Post 2778360)

Thats good news. Where exactly does this join Quilandy?

Right in the Koyilandy town, near the Panchayat office (???) or some place of that sort. Before that, it joins the Thamaraserry-Koyilandy road at Uliyeri.

However, you must remember I did it in the night (between 3-4 am), so the road was empty - there are 2-3 small village sin between) & there is also a level crossing just before Koyilandy town.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 2778368)

Right in the Koyilandy town, near the Panchayat office (???) or some place of that sort. Before that, it joins the Thamaraserry-Koyilandy road at Uliyeri.

Guess you went all way through SH-38. Good to know NH-17 byepass is fully connected to SH-38. Had tried this route while coming from Vatakara side in last Dec, NH work was still going on then. However, while driving during day time it would be better to avoid SH-38 all the way till Koyilandi and rather turn left to SH-68 just before Atholi. This way you can avoid city traffic of Calicut and also railway crossing before Koyilandi which you were saying about.
SH-68 was relaid after the bridge was constructed across Korapuza around 2 years back. Used to take this route while driving north of Calicut to avoid NH-17 before it was resurfaced last winter.

Panvel - Kanyakumari Hwy/NH 66 to Chemancheri Railway Station - Google Maps

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 2778368)

However, you must remember I did it in the night (between 3-4 am), so the road was empty - there are 2-3 small village sin between) & there is also a level crossing just before Koyilandy town.

Would be additional 7 kms or so, when compared to the normal bypass route (taking left from Atholi). During daytime, you can expect a lot of traffic on this road and it is not very wide also. But the surface is excellent. The Thamarasserry-Koyilandy road surface is also in pristine condition.
Slightly OT, HVK sir, my guess is that you would have driven all the way up till Mumbai on NH17 (NH66). What is the status of the road widening work going on in the Mangalore-Goa stretch?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tachobells (Post 2776218)

Folks, do all know that Avinasi bypass road (rather service road) is partially complete? Or is it a best kept secret?

tachobells, thanks for the info.

Do we have to take the road indicated in the map, the blue line? Sorry, I am a bit confused here.

The ongoing work at Avinashi is very painful indeed. Our car has many bruises from multiple trips due to flying stones and rough edges. Any way around will be greatly appreciated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandsun7 (Post 2778582)

Thanks, yes, I also realised that SH38 is bad news by day, looking at how narrow & populated it is.

I went on NH17 till Karwar. Road is in great condition all along, except for widening activity from KL border (Thalapady) till Kundapura. From Suratkal onwards, there are several deviations due to flyover construction, etc, but service roads are in OK shape and deviations are more or less marked. However, I did it by early morning, I guess day traffic is a real killer. To enter Udupi town, you cannot do so from the arch, you have to take the next right or better still, the one at the Hotel Sharada junction direct to the bus stand

Quote:

Originally Posted by deetjohn (Post 2778602)

Yes, you've to take the blue line in the map. It avoids the crowded area of Avinasi. I saw only 4-5 vehicles in the bypass against hundreds you would encounter in the town.

Depending on the time of the day, you can save 10-15 mintues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpksuhas (Post 2774084)

How is the road condition of Dindigul- Cumbum- Kattapana strech.

Need to go to Kattapana on June 1st weekend from Bangalore, was thinking of following NH-7 till Dindigul and taking deviation as mentioned before. Any other alternative?

Reposting my earlier post since no reply. How long will the drive be if starting from Bangalore around 3PM.

Wanted to check on the Coimbatore to Kochi road section that goes on NH544 via Pallakad. Anyone from Kerala can confirm on the conditions, need to go towards Kochi airport area for friends marriage, so was planning to go via Salem & Coimbatore, considering that most of the section will be on expressway. Drive is during the daytime.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpksuhas (Post 2783310)

Reposting my earlier post since no reply. How long will the drive be if starting from Bangalore around 3PM.

You can do Bangalore - Kumily in less than 8 hrs. Let regulars on the route comment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by motomaverick (Post 2783768)

Wanted to check on the Coimbatore to Kochi road section that goes on NH544 via Pallakad.

L&T Bypass Jn to Walayar: Bumpy but manageable.
Walayar - Palghat - Mannuthy: Few kms bad around Kuthiran
Mannuthy-Angamaly-Airport: 4 lane, excellent (30-40 mins)
The whole stretch can be done easily within 3 hrs + breaks.