Quote:
Originally Posted by binand 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. |
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