[bhunu AMG]

Cbe to walayar there are some small deviations due to the 4line widening but it is easy to stick on the right track. Up to vadakkanchery road is ok, as patch ups are done recently. You have to drive very carefully in kuthiran section( around 5km). Lot of big potholes are there in this 5km stretch. After mannuthy the roads are good only one point to be noted ie the speed cameras.!!

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by binand

How did you cross over from Kondotty (NH 213) to Thenhipalam (NH 17) where the University is? Did you come to Ramanattukara at the junction of these two, or did you go via the Kondotty - Calicut Airport - small lanes that reach NH 17 at various points?

The easiest is to take the Kottappuram-Kakkancherry route. From Kondotty, you go towards Ramanattukara for around 4.5 kms and you reach Kottappuram, from where you can take a left and it leads to Kinfra on NH17. The google maps route is given here. The other route you can take is this one. This route goes around the airport and reaches Kohinoor, which is beyond University. This route makes sense if your destination is further ahead of the University bus stop, towards Chelari.

Originally Posted by RobC

How is the condition of the road in the Gudalur-Nadugani-Nilambur section?

Except for a few patches along the Nadugani-Nilambur ghat section, this route is good. You can maintain a decent speed, without breaking anything in your car. There is also a small bridge construction where there is only a single lane. But the total length of that bridge is only about 12 ft

Originally Posted by kala

Saw a report of some road work in the Malavalli-Kollegal sector, but I don't think that would be anything major because those roads were in very good condition anyway.

kala, as I reported in my previous post, a fresh layer asphalt is being laid on top of the existing one, which as you mentioned, was already in good shape. The only issue here is that they are doing one side of the road at a time for a very long stretch and because of this, the two sides of the road are at different height now (a few inches). At some points, as the tyres goes over these edges, it can feel quite rough. For bikes, it can be quite dangerous (eg: while trying to overtake vehicles) but for cars, it's not problem if you drive through either of the sides.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by bhunu AMG

After mannuthy the roads are good only one point to be noted ie the speed cameras.!!

Are you talking about police interceptor vehicles with cams? Or are speed camera installed along the road? The reason why I asked is because there are few cams installed along NH-47 in Cochin but are not functional.

[M35]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

The reason why I asked is because there are few cams installed along NH-47 in Cochin but are not functional.

Some of them are functional in Cochin,for sure.Last month I did an early morning drive to Alappuzha only to receive a registered post asking me pay a penalty of Rs.400 at the nearest RTO within 16 days.It did have the picture of my scorpio which was caught at 90km/hr at around 7.25am Somewhere near Kakkanad,I guess.

[nijelj]

Originally Posted by tachobells

Can somebody please tell me the latest condition of Bangalore-Kanakapura-Kollegal-Chamarajnagar-Sathyamangalam-Annur-Karumathampatti-Coimbatore Bypass-Palakkad route?

Never taken this route. Planning to try when I go to Kerala this weekend.

Thanks.

Hey Tacho,Can I join?
Regards
Nijel

[convivial]

Hi friends -

Taking over from an old post. I travel every year from Trivandrum to Kollur. Planning this year's trip during the second week of April. I have heard horror stories about the road from Kasargode to Kundapura from my friends who traveled the same route 2 months back. They said even the Mangalore-Udupi highway which was recently worked upon is in a terrible shape. I have a Jetta and quite concerned about the condition of the roads.

Wanted to know if some stretches at least have been repaired. If any of you have some information, please share.

Thanks a lot!
Jay

Originally Posted by hvkumar

All roads leading to Tirunelli are super. To go to Kollur, best way is to go from Mananthavady to Taliparamba and then take NH17

[denver85]

Originally Posted by convivial

Hi friends -
Taking over from an old post. I travel every year from Trivandrum to Kollur. Planning this year's trip during the second week of April. I have heard horror stories about the road from Kasargode to Kundapura from my friends who traveled the same route 2 months back. They said even the Mangalore-Udupi highway which was recently worked upon is in a terrible shape. I have a Jetta and quite concerned about the condition of the roads.

Wanted to know if some stretches at least have been repaired. If any of you have some information, please share.

Thanks a lot!
Jay

Please find my post when I have done Ernakulam-Kollur in last October: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2932070
I also heard so many horror stories before the journey. The roads were much better than expected. Done this stretch in 2012 model Punto and never faced any clearance problems.
Even I heard the diversions in Mangalore-Uduppi-Kundapura is better now and is easy to drive in some recent post.
Please update the conditions after your trip. I am planning to do Kollur in May first week with family.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by arjithin

I am planning for a Sabarimala trip in April.

onward trip:

Starting at 4 AM.

Chalakudy - Cherthala - Kottayam - Kanjirappally - Erumely - Pamba (To use the 4 lane roads while driving with headlights ON).
Hopefully this 210 km can be covered in 5-5:30 hrs

Return to Pamba in 5-6 hrs time. Plan is to visit the temple without irumudi kettu.

Return trip:
Pampa - Kanjirappally - Pala - Koothattukulam - Chalakudy

or

Pampa - Kanjirappally - Thodupuzha- MVPA - Chalakudy

Hopefully this 175 km can be convered in 6-6:30 hrs

Navigator - Sygic with mapmyindia or Google maps

Route made using google maps; need your suggestions on road conditions, better routes etc. Thank you.

Any suggestions or update about road conditions after Muvattupuzha?

[jacs]

Idukki - Pala

People who take the short route between Pala to Idukki via Kollappally to hit Muttom, please beware of the road work. Looks like it would take another week or two for completion. No road only now.


Kottayam - Kumily - Dindigul

I drove to Bangalore a week back. Still preferred over Trissur - Comibatore route. 4 laning, widening etc are almost nearing completion and very few deviations compared to past. Vento cruised smoothly without any under belly scrapping.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by M35

Some of them are functional in Cochin,for sure.Last month I did an early morning drive to Alappuzha only to receive a registered post asking me pay a penalty of Rs.400 at the nearest RTO within 16 days.It did have the picture of my scorpio which was caught at 90km/hr at around 7.25am Somewhere near Kakkanad,I guess.

Are you sure it's Kakkanad? I haven't seen any cameras there. Maybe it was a police interceptor vehicle?

I think the police are doing some trial runs with the cameras on the Angamaly-Mannuthy route, but haven't started imposing fines yet. My BIL was "photographed" by one of the cameras 3 weeks back, but he hasn't received any notification for fine payment till now.

[pat2kin]

Planning a road trip mid of April. Following are the places that I need to cover

Bangalore - Madurai (1 day stay at Madurai)
Madurai - Trivandrum (2 days in Trivandrum)
Trivandrum - Cochin (2 days in Cochin)
Cochin - Palakkad (2 days in Palakkad)
Palakkad - Bangalore

The trip will be on a Honda City. I am planning to start from Bangalore, early in the morning, say 4 am. What time should I start from Madurai (to Trivandrum) so that I can avoid Nagercoil - Trivandrum traffic. Traveled from Tirunelveli to Trivandrum (via Nagercoil) in November last year and the stretch was very bad between Nagercoil - Tvm. Can I expect it to be a little better now? What time should I start from Trivandrum and Cochin?

Any inputs is highly appreciated.

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Are you sure it's Kakkanad?
I think the police are doing some trial runs with the cameras on the Angamaly-Mannuthy route, but haven't started imposing fines yet. My BIL was "photographed" by one of the cameras 3 weeks back, but he hasn't received any notification for fine payment till now.

How did your brother in law notice that he was photographed? I wanted to understand how the camera can take pictures of speed limit violaters if the road is crowded?

[M35]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Are you sure it's Kakkanad? I haven't seen any cameras there. Maybe it was a police interceptor vehicle?

I hadn't noticed my car being photographed as I was simply enjoying the morning drive.So can't confirm the exact location.And also can't recollect me spotting any mobile interceptors.


In a week after that alappuzha visit I flew back to China.Later, it was my parents back home told me on telephone about the notification and penalty. It could be Kakkanad or a bit away at Pattanakkad as they read somewhere on the notification letter.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

How did your brother in law notice that he was photographed? I wanted to understand how the camera can take pictures of speed limit violaters if the road is crowded?

He was travelling at night and everyone in the car noticed multiple bright flashes as soon as the car passed the camera. I wasn't in the car, so I don't know how crowded the road was at that point of time. Maybe the multiple flashes were for different people.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

How did your brother in law notice that he was photographed? I wanted to understand how the camera can take pictures of speed limit violaters if the road is crowded?

It must be the same type of cameras that are used in Hyderabad to catch the stop-line & red signal offenders at signals.the moment somebody cuts across during a red signal,there is a very distinct flash light that comes out-something that is very noticeable.And for the ones in Hyd there is no way anybody can tamper with the cams or the flashes as they are way high up on the signal poles!