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Thanks, Sajid.

Looks like my plan has to be changed little but. I will be driving to Cochin via Salem and come back to Bangalore via Calicut.

I had only once experience of driving through Calicut city and that was a very unpleasant one. I hope there is a bye-pass or ring road to escape the city traffic/congestion.

Regards
Rex

Calicut has a fully functional bypass from Ramanattukara (NH66/NH213 junction) till Pooladikunnu (NH 66 northbound). To take NH 212 which leads to Bangalore you will exit the bypass at the Malaparamba junction. Everything is well signposted.

Be aware that flyover construction is in full swing at many of the junctions on the bypass.

I took the Kuthiran route itself after checking with some locals just before the diversion to chelakkara. The stretch is bad but the surface is not that uneven and managed to drive past without scraping the underbody even once. I was worried mid way if I had made the right call but all worries were put to rest when I saw an A6 easily driving past. The CLA won my heart for making it through the stretch. So if time is a premium and you are ok with a ton of dust, continue to take the Kuthiran route. Guys thank you for your regular posts and update. It is so helpful. :)

looks like some kind of temp pothole filling has been happening. My octavia friend too reported the same on his way back - there was a time recently where even intercity multiaxle buses were finding it difficult.

I am travelling from Bangalore to Calicut through wayanad to meet someone affected in flood. Can you please let me know the road condition and any restrictions for KA vehicles?

Today's Manorama reports a 12 Hour traffic jam that happened on Kuthiran yesterday, seems it was triggered by a minor accident on that stretch

That’s bad. I don’t understand why some people will try to over speed and overtake in a stretch like that; and then inconvenience everyone. The local and state transport buses are always in a hurry.

Nothing to be concerned about, however few sections of ghats were broken and also barricaded off due to broken road when I travelled couple of weeks back.

There are no restrictions for KA or any other registration vehicles, however hope you are aware of travel ban between 09:00 PM to 06:00 AM through Bandipur / Wayanad wildlife sanctuary. Hence do start your trip considering this.

You will get updated information about Calicut trip on Bangalore- Calicut route link.

Took Cochin-trichur-palakkad-salem-hosur - Bangalore route yesterday. Crossed Kuthiran in 20 minutes. (passing time 8.00 Am) Could see fresh tarring in some spots. Road condition is manageable. Rest of the roads are fine

Thanks for all the inputs, folks. Appreciate it

I had to make two trips instead of one in the last one week, one by car and another by bus.

We were lucky on our driving trip that we could pass the Kuthiran stretch in around 20-30 minutes around noon time during last Friday, irrespective of gaping potholes and heavy truck traffic.

My bus trip up and down Wednesday morning and Wednesday night was not that lucky. We were stuck for a really long time around 5am in the morning and again at around 11pm during the return trip. The Karnataka RTC driver said he checked with his other colleagues who passed the stretch earlier and took the Kuthiran route based on their feedback. We were just stuck with no movement at all. I always wonder what it takes to tar around 5 kms of road which will make the drive through that place less painful. The place is so dusty and with soaring temperatures during day time, is a real hell for non-ac vehicles going through the ordeal. Not sure why authorities are not seeing the pain. I heard, earlier state government used to repair the roads and charge NHAI. This year Kerala government has not taken up any initiative in that direction yet. In an over-politicized state like Kerala, everything is done with a political intention and for political mileage. I saw banners of strikes by various political parties for the road repair, then strike by road workers for their pay, strike by local residents for compensation and payment of damages. I was reading in a news paper that there were 9 traffic blocks each lasting a minimum of 5 hours, in a 2 week window. With all the strikes and lack of interest/action from state govt and NHAI, not sure how long road users and dwellers around this stretch have to suffer. It's a real pity. I would suggest anybody who drive this way to take Shornur-Chelakkara stretch and not to add to the pain. May be 20 kms extra and little slower drive, but you're doing a good thing to yourself, your vehicle and to a lot of other people.

Our return car trip was via Calicut-Wynad. More or less a peaceful drive except for the damaged roads in the ghat section and after Panamaram towards Mananthavadi. Condition of road was pretty bad in this stretch. Rest of the road surfaces were bad as well, but manageable. On the ghats, it was single lane traffic between hair pin 1 and 2 for some stretch where work was going on late into the night. There was work happening around 9th hair pin as well.

I was very saddened to see some of the road users behaving totally senseless on the ghats, which may be bearable during day time and with light traffic. Around 9th hairpin, due to some concrete work road was already narrow, we were trying to overtake a long and slow moving truck. Suddenly a bike came down at high speed and in the middle of the lane, and he was not willing to move to the side irrespective of high beam flashes and honks from me. At the last moment, we just managed to pass the truck. If I was as nutty as him, he would have reached bottom of the ghats much faster and I would be sitting in a jail cooling my heels. I always thought people who live around ghats and use such roads frequently are more sensible and most of them are. Shocking to see such irresponsible behaviors which can cause trouble to all involved. I just pray that they get some sense into them.

Multiple stretches of the forest road on the Karnataka side after Bavali have single lane tarmac. To give side to an oncoming vehicle you need to get off the shoulder, which at many places are very sharp and deep. Low profile cars could really get into trouble. We were lucky to survive many such adventures without getting our car hurt. Road surface is excellent in the Karnataka side.

Regards
Rex

That ghat road (12 km from Avidaram to Lakkidi) is a no-overtaking stretch. I just couldn't help noticing the hypocrisy here.

Maybe nit-picking, but both the truck and the bike have the right of way. The person overtaking is in the wrong lane and is completely responsible for a safe overtaking maneuver. So the bike guy had no compulsion to slow down. It is entirely up to the over taking vehicle to either back off or complete the overtaking and get back into the correct lane (which you did do).

As you hinted, if there had been an accident, it would have been completely your fault. The bike coming fast and not slowing to allow you to complete the maneuver would not have been a consideration.

No debate on the right of way or law point here. What I was intending to say was that when there is a vehicle coming up trying to overtake a slow moving truck, it's a courtesy to give away, if possible and safe, which in this case is for sure since it was a bike. We are all sensible people and can be practical and considerate depending on the situation, leaving apart the rule book. And, I'm sure many of us were in such situations and have behaved in a way showing consideration to a vehicle coming uphill, whether on it's lane or overtaking another vehicle.

Regards
Rex

As per the general guidelines exhibited on all ghat sections - "Traffic going downhill must make way for traffic going uphill." In other words the traffic going uphill have the right of way especially if it is halfway through an overtaking manouver. Some ghat sections specifically mention "Traffic going uphill have right of way."

Exceptions to this would be when there is a "No Overtaking" rule in place which as indicated seems to be the case.

So if a vehicle is overtaking another one while climbing the ghats, the vehicle going downhill must stop sufficiently early to give way.

As per the news report on Manorama, Kuthiran reconstruction work will begin on October 7.

In another news, the Palchuram ghats connecting Iritty and Mananthavady via Kottiyoor will be opened for traffic tomorrow.