Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Route / Travel Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/)

-   -   All Roads to Kerala (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/27690-all-roads-kerala-937.html)

Yes, I commute this stretch quite often. I meant that the roads leading to/from the tunnels in the Thrissur side are not ready, and are still a mess.

Both the tunnels are functional. Palakkad till entry of Kuthiran tunnel road is fully functional. A small stretch after the tunnel has got only one lane for which the WIP in full swing. So does it mean, the whole flyover/road work needs to be completed for the toll to be functional even when 95% of the work is completed?

Yes, if that 5% takes away my 10-15 minutes and I have to crawl in first gear/clutch! I have paid my road taxes and the toll is to be charged only when the whole stretch is 100% ready! They are not doing any favour!

Did a Trivandrum-Kovilpatti-Thoothukudi-Trivandrum drive and i was saddened by the sight of brand new speed cams coming up on the TN side of the highway. They even have led display to show "your speed".

Not yet functional i guess. Speed limit shown on these roads is at 80kmph.

I will be driving from Thrissur to Bengaluru next weekend. This is my first trip in this route. Need to understand a few things.

1. How is the road condition between Thrissur and Bengaluru?
2. What is the total toll fee between Thrissur and Bengaluru?

Bit of a background: My colleague and best friend is moving to Dublin next month. As a gesture of gratitude he has sold his favorite car to me. He and the car are in Thrissur, Kerala which is his hometown. So, I am going to Thrissur next weekend to bring the car home :).

Appreciate the answers for above questions, thanks.

I drove Palakkad-Bangalore (as part of my return trip from Calicut) yesterday. The Wayanad hartal of yesterday's forced me to do this.

The first part - Calicut-Palakkad - I wanted to keep as much away from Malappuram as possible (due to the planned protests there) so I took Calicut-Arekkode-Wandoor-Pandikkad-Alanallur-Mannarkkad-Palakkad. Due to the traffic, geography and road construction this took a bit more than 4 hours. It is heartening to note that even minor district roads in Kerala are getting the attention they deserve, with widening efforts, new surface, better culverts, lane and bus stop markings etc. But the NH 966 reconstruction seems to be a perpetual motion machine? I seem to remember the construction site/detour just outside of Mannarkkad from my trips in 2018-19 and that place still looks the same despite many dozen people in hivis jackets and operational equipment.

Now to Coimbatore-Salem section. There are multiple flyovers being constructed and now they have taken up resurfacing work of the road. The process is to block off one carriageway entirely and force everyone to share the other. This resulted in significant delays for me yesterday - at one point, I was stuck for nearly 30 minutes. This section (~145 km) took me 3h 15mins yesterday; I had never taken more than 2 hours for this section.

Salem-Bangalore, no difference. There are two flyovers being constructed on Omalur bypass that could lead to a bit of a congestion. And that TN RTO checkpost at Hosur is a major problem. I hope they relocate it somewhere else.

Palakkad-Bangalore took me 7.5 hours eventually (4.15 - 11.45 PM).

Coming from Thrissur it is mostly good roads. After the opening of the Kuthiran tunnel pair this section is not a problem any more.

Tolls:



One Rs. 17 deduction for Coimbatore bypass is not being reflected. Also coming from Thrissur you have an extra toll booth at Panniyankara which is Rs. 100 or 105 I believe.

Anyway Google Maps is now showing total toll along each of the routes it suggests.

Apart from what binand covered, adding a few points below:

• If you start at 6 am or before in the morning, you will go signal free on all the traffic lights on the NH before Walayar.
• The speed limit is 90Kmph and there are speed cameras every few kms till TN border.
• The Coimbatore bye pass (~25kms) is single lane, so expect lot of truck traffic and two wheelers crossing here.
• At Selam, it is easy to miss the exit left turn towards Bengaluru (NH44) from the flyover (NH544), so watch out for signs.
• Fuel is expensive in KL and TN, so fill up just to reach Bengaluru.
• Toll should be ~760

Not related to Kerala roads, but if this is going to be your first major road trip towards Bengaluru, please to do be aware of the series of speed breakers from Attibele to Electronic City. After 500 kms of cruising on NHs this could take you by surprise.

In addition to this.

Could you please tell me if there are any Shell fuel stations on the way from Thrissur to Bengaluru?

Shell petrol pumps, you will find only near or at Bengaluru. If you are looking for clean fuel you can fill from Reliance also. My half desi half import crossover is running with Reliance Diesel without any issues (touchwood).
Regarding road conditions, Trissur to Walayar section is damn good, only fly in the ointment are the speed cams placed at every one Km.

For the Thrissur-Bangalore route I know of one inside Coimbatore - but is it worth the detour? I usually fill at the Essar (now Nayara) on Coimbatore bypass, but on the occasions when I have visited the PSU franchise pumps along this road I have found them to be well-equipped and supplied, well-maintained and crewed by courteous staff.

There are several Shell pumps outside of Chennai/Bangalore city limits in KA+TN. Kerala doesn't have any I guess.

Planning to drive down to Kochi next Sunday. Is there a possible detour to avoid this block? Google showed a red bit between Salem and Sankari yesterday - is that where the work is being done?

There weren’t any red bits yesterday afternoon or evening so they probably have figured a better way to manage the block or maybe discontinued the work for sometime.

I think the intention is to resurface the entire stretch (at least for this one concessionaire), so the red spot I imagine will keep moving each day. Probably it is at its most ferocious during the morning/evening peak hours which is why I got caught whereas you didn't see much of a problem.

As for detours - your options are:

1. Down till Dharmapuri and then take interior TN roads that fall north of the main highway. There are two turnoffs: (a) immediately after descending the Thoppur ghats towards Mettur, or (b) from within Omalur town towards Idappadi. The idea is to drive towards Annur and eventually join back the highway near Coimbatore.

2. Exit the highway onto interior TN roads that fall south of the main highway. You will pass through the towns of Kangeyam and Palladam. The best turn-off is from Namakkal. Beyond Palladam you can join the main highway at Coimbatore or proceed to Pollachi and rejoin the main highway at Vadakkanchery.

3. Totally different route - Bangalore-Gundlupet-Gudalur-Nilambur and then Perinthalmanna-Pattambi, joining the main highway on the outskirts of Thrissur city.

Options 1 and 2 have the usual superb quality TN interior roads but they are not conducive for cruising at 100+ speeds. There are several small towns and villages and these will slow you down. Option 3 has a much longer drive through Kerala and though it is about 100 km shorter, you will not save any time. I have driven through all three routes and in my view, they are good only for the experience and not really for family trips (except #3, perhaps).

Heard the Perinthalmanna - Pattambi road is in shambles. Or has it redone and good now?

Last I went that way was about 2.5 years ago. The roads were OK then.