Work should start by Dec 11th when CM will officially inaugurate it. Completion time is 18 months. They should be giving this a priority since this is one major junction and metro construction depends on the progress of this. Kundanoor flyover construction should start in Feb.

Here's the diversion plan. That underpass will be a nightmare unless they widen it.

sujithsidhardha, the route through Angamali, Muvattupuzha to Kottayam sees less traffic than passing through Vyttala or the other two options. There are very few traffic lights on this stretch (one in Muvattupuzha), so you can make good progress. I usually take this route while going from Trivandrum to Trichur side.

Thank you for the advice. How is the road condition from angamali till kottayam?

Road is good, but two laned like most roads in Kerala. The traffic signals every now and then on the stretch between Angamali and Vyttila will test your patience, so the lack of traffic signals is the major advantage of this route. Have a nice trip.

Busy, especially weekdays but better than Angamaly-Vytilla. If going further south, MC road (SH 1) is better (faster, less traffic) than the NH but you slow to a crawl in all the many towns.

Means MC Road work is fully completed from Angamaly to Thiruvananthapuram? Heard Some sections around Chengannur is still WIP.

Much work is in progress between Kottayam and Adoor: at least 2 bridges and their approach ramps, butt overall you make much better progress than the NH.

Travelled on MC road from Kottayam to Trivandrum on November 5th. The road condition is far better than earlier, and the new bridge just before Chengannur (over the Pamba river) is open to traffic. If you travel early morning, say by 5 to 6, or later in the evening after 9pm, the traffic is much less than during the day time. This route is better than taking the NH any day. Infact, a good option to travel between Kochi and Trivandrum is to use the NH till Shertallai (road is good and progress fast due to median and four lane) and take a left turn to Kottayam passing through Kumarakam. You will be travelling over the scenic Thaneermukham bund, separating the seaward side of the lake from the fresh water side. Once you reach Kottayam, take MC road all the way to Trivandrum.

Thanks, this is very helpful; wouldn't we get stuck in Kottayam City traffic? Is there any way to bypass that?

A point to note is that the Kumarakam route has some rather narrow roads.

Glad to know about this route.
Hows the road condition from Sarjapur police station till merging onto national highway while taking the bagalur route?

Sarajapur to Bagalur is good with few spead breakers in KA side. Bagalur to Hosur is wide good road.

The traffic jam occurs after CMS college to Seemati junction. To avoid this take a right turn at Illikal bridge when you are coming from Kumarakom; this will take you to Thiruvarppu road. Cross the MC road at pulimmod junction and take a right turn at Bheema jewellers, past the KSRTC bus stand and join MC road at TB junction. This will avoid the worst of the Kottayam traffic.

Angamaly-Muvattupuzha road is in good condition. A lot of areas where it is patchy. But, the problems have multiplies these days. Traffic blocks in Kalady, Muvattupuzha and Perumbavoor (in that order) is bad. If you travel in Friday evening, Saturday and Sundays - Muvattupuzha town has huge traffic blocks which can take an hour or more to pass through, unlike earlier. However, generally MC road is still preferred. The problem is, unpredictable traffic blocks in the said towns mentioned earlier.

I traveled recently from Muvattupuzha to Kottayam MC road stretch which is being completed by KSTP. Except the Aaroor ghat where constructions are going on for few hundred yards, rest is completed. KSTP has done a shoddy job in the construction of Koothattukulam-Muvattupuzha MC road stretch. There are a lot of turns and twists as usual kept intact. No straightening, no leveling :( .

However, I reached Kottayam from Muvattupuzha in 50 minutes flat which is unimaginable earlier. There is much lesser traffic from Muvattupuzha-Kottayam MC road stretch which is a hill highway from Muvattupuzha to Koothattukulam and hilly in stretches like Monippilly-Ratnagiri areas near Kuravilangad and Ettumanoor.

Hope Muvattupuzha-Arakkuzha-Pandappilly-Koothattukulam road through plane gets developed so that the hilly sector of MC road can be bypassed. The original MC road alignment was first planned through Arakkuzha route only, which is still shorter by 2kms than MC road. Due to the weird geographic features of this area (midlands), we have narrow region of hills spread precisely through the MC road route, while the rest of the region are midlands or planes which must be used to develop MC road as a feasible highway to reach Trivandrum from Angamaly.

Also, it is time we see Angamaly-Muvattupuzha MC road stretch getting 4 laned as the traffic warrants this. As part of this, build Kalady, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha bypasses and a diversion from MC road at Mattoor airport junction. to go through Kidangoor bypassing Angamaly town through the eastern side, thus reaching straight to Koratty or Cherangara in NH544. Ah! If all wishes come true, then sun will sleep eternally in the western sea.

Planning for a Guruvayoor, Mannarshala & Kutralam trip in January'18.

I have not recently traveled on the Kerala roads. So kindly suggest the best route from Chennai, along with the food & night breaks?