[binand]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Disadvantage is that with this route it is not possible to take the Calicut Bye-Pass

You can still take the mini bypass (which is strictly speaking, not a bypass anymore but an arterial city road with poor lighting and horrible traffic) or backtrack a few (about 5) km from Feroke towards Ramanattukara to take the real bypass. The mini also connects to the full via Mankavu-Pantheerankavu, Aredathupalam-Thondayad and Eranhipalam-Malapparamba.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Disadvantage is that with this route it is not possible to take the Calicut Bye-Pass

From Feroke, can't you take the road via Thiruvannur/Panniangara Road junction and reach Baby Memorial Hospital and proceed on the mini-bypass to reach near Civil station ? From there make a right turn and you're on the NH 212 towards Bathery. This is almost parallel to the NH 17 bypass that also reaches near civil station.

[kala]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

An update on one of the alternate routes to approach calicut from the south- Tirur-Parappanangadi-Chettipadi-Kadalundi-Chaliyam-Karuvanthuruthy-Ferok-Meechanda- Calicut.

Previously the stretch between Chettipadi and Ferok was narrow and mostly rough with several bad patches. Yesterday, fed up of the NH17 traffic nightmare especially between CHelari and Ramanatukara, decided to take this route. Was pleasantly surprised to see that the Chettipadi-Chaliyam stretch has been completely relaid and also slightly widened. Traffic is pretty low on this stretch which makes it a comfortable drive. Post Chaliyam, from the Karuvanthuruthy Bridge till ferok, the road is narrow, but is smooth surface except for a couple of major pot holes just before reaching Ferok. Below is the route link

Route Link

It does not save much time, but enables a more relaxed drive. Also enables skipping the one remaining railway gate when taking the Parappanangadi route to Calicut. Disadvantage is that with this route it is not possible to take the Calicut Bye-Pass

One problem in getting on to this road is the old bridge at Feroke which is narrow and does not have enough width for two way traffic. (I'm not sure if it is a one way now, but the only time I attempted to get on to this road was at about 6AM and a truck got on to the bridge from the opposite side when I was about midway and I ended up having to back up in order to avoid the deadlock).

Also getting on to the Feroke Karuvanthuruthy road is tricky. I couldn't spot the turn and ended up back on the NH - and eventually ditched the idea of using the road via Chaliyam and used the Chelari-Chettipady road in the end.

Originally Posted by binand

You can still take the mini bypass (which is strictly speaking, not a bypass anymore but an arterial city road with poor lighting and horrible traffic) or backtrack a few (about 5) km from Feroke towards Ramanattukara to take the real bypass. The mini also connects to the full via Mankavu-Pantheerankavu, Aredathupalam-Thondayad and Eranhipalam-Malapparamba.

Originally Posted by NPV

From Feroke, can't you take the road via Thiruvannur/Panniangara Road junction and reach Baby Memorial Hospital and proceed on the mini-bypass to reach near Civil station ? From there make a right turn and you're on the NH 212 towards Bathery. This is almost parallel to the NH 17 bypass that also reaches near civil station.

I think the road you are referring to is the same "mini byepass" that Binand mentioned in the post above (from Meenchanda to Eranhipalam). That road isn't all that bad, but traffic density is much higher than the Ramanattukara byepass.

Also a better way to get on to the main byepass from this mini-byepass is to take a right turn immediately after MIMS hospital (S.K.Pottekad road) that will take you to Pottammal Junction on Mavoor road via Kuthiravattom. Even this road is a little bit narrow, but you can avoid the traffic mess at Arayidathupalam near Baby Memorial Hospital.

[binand]

Originally Posted by kala

I think the road you are referring to is the same "mini byepass" that Binand mentioned in the post above (from Meenchanda to Eranhipalam). That road isn't all that bad, but traffic density is much higher than the Ramanattukara byepass.

The best way is to backtrack from Feroke to Ramanattukara, a distance of maybe 5 km.

The Meenchanda-Eranhipalam road is indeed called the mini-bypass. It was built when I was in 4th std or so (its first stage, Eranhipalam-Aredathupalam).

[procrj]

Originally Posted by binand

Updates from my Bangalore-Perumbavur drive on 25/12.

Planning a trip to wayanad. Is this the best route to take https://goo.gl/maps/J7YxS.

Planning to drive on 2nd Jan and hence dont think there will be a lot of traffic on Bangalore - Mysore highway. In that case would Bangalore > Mysore > Nanjangud > Gundlupete be a better route?

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by procrj

Planning a trip to wayanad. Is this the best route to take https://goo.gl/maps/J7YxS.

Planning to drive on 2nd Jan and hence dont think there will be a lot of traffic on Bangalore - Mysore highway. In that case would Bangalore > Mysore > Nanjangud > Gundlupete be a better route?

Not the best route until Malavalli. This is the best one if you are keen on avoiding Mysore road. http://goo.gl/maps/JOo4o

If you are planning to start early, say before 6 AM, then this (via Mysore) would be ok: http://goo.gl/maps/WzKw4

Which part/town of Wayanad is your destination?

[binand]

Originally Posted by procrj

Planning a trip to wayanad. Is this the best route to take https://goo.gl/maps/J7YxS.

Planning to drive on 2nd Jan and hence dont think there will be a lot of traffic on Bangalore - Mysore highway. In that case would Bangalore > Mysore > Nanjangud > Gundlupete be a better route?

Where in Wayanad? There are two entry points - Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady.

If the latter, then you probably should go through Mysore. If the former, Mysore is rather optional.

Your Bangalore-Malavalli-T. Narasipura somehow picks all the worst roads. :-) Bangalore-Kanakapura-Malavalli-Purigaali-Talakadu-T. Narasipura is the route I took last week: https://goo.gl/maps/M5UtR

Note that Wayanad is a district in Kerala; there is no specific town by that name. Like there is no exact location for Bangalore Rural or Ranga Reddy.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Not the best route until Malavalli. This is the best one if you are keen on avoiding Mysore road. http://goo.gl/maps/JOo4o

Originally Posted by binand

Where in Wayanad? There are two entry points - Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady.
Your Bangalore-Malavalli-T. Narasipura somehow picks all the worst roads. :-) Bangalore-Kanakapura-Malavalli-Purigaali-Talakadu-T. Narasipura is the route I took last week: https://goo.gl/maps/M5UtR

Thanks for that. Will save it.

If you are planning to start early, say before 6 AM, then this (via Mysore) would be ok: http://goo.gl/maps/WzKw4

How is the Mysore >Nanjangudu stretch. Remember reading that it was not very good a few months ago.

Which part/town of Wayanad is your destination?

Kalpetta

[NPV]

Originally Posted by procrj

How is the Mysore >Nanjangudu stretch. Remember reading that it was not very good a few months ago.

Since you're going to Kalpetta, suggest you take the straightforward route via Mysore-Nanjangud-Gundlupet-Sulthan Bathery.
Mysore-Nanjangud is a bit rough at some places but nothing so bad that it needs to be avoided.
The alternate could have been Kanakapura-Kollegal-Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet but given that the Cauvery bridge near Shivanasaudra is closed, you will have to detour via Talakkad, etc so may not be worth all the effort.
Needless to say, start early at least by 5am and you should be good. For breakfast you can stop at Kamat Madhuvan near the Palace. Or you can take the Ring Road near Columbia Asia junction and stop at Hotel Kalyani, details here.

[sayoojl]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Planning a Mavelikara - Munnar drive in a couple days and the following 3 routes are shown. Which of these is a better bet in terms of good-roads ? I don't mind a longer route if the roads are good.

I can give partial update on the route highlighted in blue(200kms,4h 33min).Roads are good from ranny-manthamaruthi-erumeli south[roads are bit narrow here.overtaking will be tough] till azhutha.After that till elppara roads are bit rough, but nothing to complain. No idea about the roads further up.
Please keep in mind about sabarimala traffic which will create additional delays.Starting early will be the key in these roads.

[B103]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Planning a Mavelikara - Munnar drive in a couple days and the following 3 routes are shown. Which of these is a better bet in terms of good-roads ? I don't mind a longer route if the roads are good.

I drove Bangalore - Salem-Dharapuram - Munnar and then to Changanacherry a week back. I drove the second route from left in your map.

Chengannur - Tiruvalla - Changanacherry bypass -Thengana - Puthupally - Pala - Thodupuzha - Munnar. Roads are good throughout. In Chengannur and again in Tiruvalla there are bridge reconstructions ongoing. Second one in Tiruvalla - Changanacherry road is definitely causing long traffic jams. Negotiating Pala town during day time ate some time as well.

Better not to go to see Idukki dam. It was a open for a small period but I went and got disappointed. You have to go to Cheruthoni dam and walk 3 kms towards Idukki dam and then exit on the other side of Idukki dam. Your vehicle will be parked at Cherthoni dam and you are stuck unless you have a driver who can take take the vehicle to other side of Idukki dam.

Roads are narrow inside Munnar. I hired a cab with driver ( 1500 + lunch per day) and it worked out well for me. He will act as a local guide also.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by binand

You can still take the mini bypass (which is strictly speaking, not a bypass anymore but an arterial city road with poor lighting and horrible traffic) or backtrack a few (about 5) km from Feroke towards Ramanattukara to take the real bypass. The mini also connects to the full via Mankavu-Pantheerankavu, Aredathupalam-Thondayad and Eranhipalam-Malapparamba.

Originally Posted by NPV

From Feroke, can't you take the road via Thiruvannur/Panniangara Road junction and reach Baby Memorial Hospital and proceed on the mini-bypass to reach near Civil station ? From there make a right turn and you're on the NH 212 towards Bathery. This is almost parallel to the NH 17 bypass that also reaches near civil station.

Yes, all these are valid options. What I meant was, for a person wanting to bye-pass Calicut via the main bye pass, this route is not the best, since as you said, it forces you to either backtrack to Ramanatukara or go through the mini bye pass which is basically part of the City now.

Having said that, since my destination is on the Nadakkav side, I usually take the bye pass and exit at Thondayad or Malaparambu. This time since I was on this route, I took the mini bye pass-jail road-mananchira route through the city and found it a better option, avoids signals and traffic is generally flowing on this route. Also avoid the traffic on the bye pass which is increasing by the day.

Originally Posted by kala

One problem in getting on to this road is the old bridge at Feroke which is narrow and does not have enough width for two way traffic. (I'm not sure if it is a one way now, but the only time I attempted to get on to this road was at about 6AM and a truck got on to the bridge from the opposite side when I was about midway and I ended up having to back up in order to avoid the deadlock).

Also getting on to the Feroke Karuvanthuruthy road is tricky. I couldn't spot the turn and ended up back on the NH - and eventually ditched the idea of using the road via Chaliyam and used the Chelari-Chettipady road in the end.
.

The bridge is 2-way and can accommodate a sedan and a mini bus side by side (As I experienced ). But yes, if a big bus or a lorry gets on the bridge, there is no way for even a car to pass.

The turn is tricky, it is a very sharp left U turn immediately after the bridge, the start of the road is typically in average condition (being repaired now) and it is a steep slope downwards, so you cannot see the road properly as you cross the bridge and it looks like a narrow road that does not go anywhere.

I heard there are plans to construct a bridge at Chaliyam which will connect to the Beypore road and on to Calicut as part of the coastal highway plan. Hope that happens soon.

EDIT: Just found this article on the proposed 4 lane coastal highway between Ponnani and Vengalam,Kozhikode. Sounds like there is some progress. But still a long way to go. Something like this is essential to de congest NH 17

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/14090...ay-plan-kerala

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Just found this article on the proposed 4 lane coastal highway between Ponnani and Vengalam,Kozhikode. Sounds like there is some progress. But still a long way to go. Something like this is essential to de congest NH 17

This coastal road plan is stuck due to compensation claims since a long time. The North part of the road (Kozhikode beach) is very much done, I guess the first time I heard about this plan was some 15 years back.

The public opinion regarding the land - compensation is not that positive. Just last week, someone aware of the development was saying this has turned in to a business and hence the work is stuck.
As per them, the usual politico - land mafia combine got many patches of land on proposed road path at low cost since original owners were worried about loosing the land. Then, these new owners has given stay order asking for higher compensation. May be nothing illegal as such in this transaction, however this is the reason the the project is stuck.

This seems to be a new trend in making money. On a similar note, compensation for NH 212 widening (Kozhikode - Malaparamb) was at 17 lac / cent near Eranjipalam. It seems the same land was earlier sold for 12 lac/ cent due to fear of road widening.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

The public opinion regarding the land - compensation is not that positive. Just last week, someone aware of the development was saying this has turned in to a business and hence the work is stuck.

The moment you mention the word "Land" in Kerala, it has to be assumed as a tricky business . One thing since the state is being very small, land is always a premium commodity. Leave alone roads, railways have been trying to get the single line till Guruvayur extended to Tirur (on SRR-CLT main line). This would give an additional route to move perhaps a few goods trains quickly to Mangalore side. Currently trains (mainly passengers and express) goto Guruvayur and come back.

If the information I have is correct. Railways did three surveys to identify the route. The route made during last survey would require 18 houses to be moved and rebuilt. Rest is all through farm lands or unoccupied territory. The people who own these farm lands protested saying crops would get destroyed once the railway builds the embankments. The Railways tried to reason out that they did the same thing in Alappuzha coastal railway and nothing happened. The people would not barge.

These so called "farmers" were trying to milch money from a Central Govt. organisation, which is the railways. But finally they said enough is enough. Ex. Railway Minister, Sadananda Gowda has categorically said that new lines in Kerala would only get built if the state shares the cost.

When my Mallu brethern cries about railways ignoring their "demands", this is now going to be my reply for them . Pay up, and you would get the railway network you want.

Then, these new owners has given stay order asking for higher compensation. May be nothing illegal as such in this transaction, however this is the reason the the project is stuck.

For quite some time Kerala politicians were "demanding" NHAI to build a high way which is just 35 metres wide. Where as NHAI considers Highways to be at least 40 metres wide, and only build it based on their specifications. Look at the attitude of the Kerala politicians. NHAI should acquire land, pay through their noses huge price for the property and then build a highway which is not up to the standards. Perhaps these smart alecs thought that once a smaller highway gets built, the property they own on both sides of the highway can be used to build commercial establishments.

But again NHAI and Nitin Gadkari, played spoil-sport. Highways if they get built by NHAI it would be as per its standards which is applicable all across India. No special treatment for Kerala. Onus on procuring land for NHAI is state's responsibility. Acquire land, pay the money, hand over the land to NHAI. NHAI builds the highway, levies a toll and jolly well collects it. Or else the state can build their own versions of "highways" at state's expense.

For many of us who are regular travellers to Kerala, we would still have a tough time negotiating the "highways" of Kerala. But tough luck !!!

[binand]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

The moment you mention the word "Land" in Kerala, it has to be assumed as a tricky business . One thing since the state is being very small, land is always a premium commodity.

Land acquisition is a complex subject where there is no one-solution-fits-all. People have built homes, businesses, their whole life in one location and now suddenly the all-powerful government comes and pays sometimes 30% of the land value and tell them to get lost. That does not work definitely.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

If the information I have is correct. Railways did three surveys to identify the route. The route made during last survey would require 18 houses to be moved and rebuilt. Rest is all through farm lands or unoccupied territory.

The rail connection was originally between Guruvayur-Tanur. It was later changed to Guruvayur-Kuttipuram and then Guruvayur-Thirunavaya. I'm not sure where you got the "18 houses" number; Malappuram and Thrissur are among the densest populated districts of Kerala. I know that the original alignment was to run between the sea shore and the Ponnani-Tirur-Tanur-Parappanangadi road.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

These so called "farmers" were trying to milch money from a Central Govt. organisation, which is the railways.

These "so-called farmers", as you call them, cultivate in this region: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrissur_Kole_Wetlands. Quoting: "It gives 40 per cent of the Kerala’s rice requirement" and "is one of largest, highly productive and threatened wetlands in Kerala".

Originally Posted by sachinpk

When my Mallu brethern cries about railways ignoring their "demands", this is now going to be my reply for them . Pay up, and you would get the railway network you want.

Actually I don't think the Mallu brethren are that demanding; mostly their demands are (a) better coaches (it is very common to 86xxx coaches in Kerala-bound trains), (b) security (remember Sowmya?), (c) local connectivity (Railways did start MEMU services but then from what I understand the rakes have been taken away for Tamil Nadu services) and (d) some respite from the huge rush/waiting list during Onam/Mandalakkalam/Vishu/Vacation from Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai etc. One comparison - there as approximately as many Malayalees in Mumbai as there are Biharis in Delhi (around 15-18 lakhs, if I recall correctly). Compare the train connectivity between Delhi and points in Bihar and Mumbai and points in Kerala.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

For quite some time Kerala politicians were "demanding" NHAI to build a high way which is just 35 metres wide. Where as NHAI considers Highways to be at least 40 metres wide, and only build it based on their specifications.

That's not how I remember this debate. NHAI insisted on land acquisition assuming 75m width for the road, GoK said 30m, NHAI came down to 60m, GoK went up to 45m. This is where it stands now. GoK is OK with 60m but the think-tanks and opinion-makers want NHAI to come down again. Mind you, the 75m is the standard for GQ; given that the standard in India for lane width is 3.5m, a 6-lane highway can be built with 25m land.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Highways if they get built by NHAI it would be as per its standards which is applicable all across India.

Therein lies the problem. I don't think there is any policy on roads that can be applied nation-wide completely discounting local realities. So GoK has decided to get rid of NHAI and develop the roads via KSTP. Some GoK maintained roads are not bad at all.