[sijil.karim]

Guys, planning chennai to kochi drive on 4th May, via ulundurpet-salem-CBE
How is the condition of the road from Ulundurpet to Salem, are the road widening and byepass works done ??
any feedback from anyone who has driven recently will be appreciated

[sbtech]

Hi Guys,
I am going from theni to kochi. Gmap is showing 2 routes . One via then-cumbum-limply-pala-kochi and the other via theni-rajakkad-kothamangalam-muvattupuzha-kolenchery-kochi . Anybody took these routes before and know which route is better ?

[kari0388]

Hello all! Have read through most of the posts on this thread and it has been very helpful! I am planning on doing a similar trip as well from Pune to KL to TN and back to Pune.

Would like to get some feedback from you and others on the below planning:

Pune - Goa
Goa - Bekal
Bekal - Alleppey
Alleppey - Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari - Dhanushkodi
Dhanushkodi - Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam - Chennai
Chennai - Pune (via Hubli)

My main queries are to do with the western coast roads. How good are they? I am also planning for this trip in late June'24. Will the rains be very bad during this time on this stretch?

Thanks in advance!

[m8002?]

Originally Posted by kari0388

I am also planning for this trip in late June'24. Will the rains be very bad during this time on this stretch?

Thanks in advance!

Late June is peak monsoon season. Most of the beach shacks will be closed in Goa.
For Alleppey, check if the lake side resorts and house boats are operational.

[silversteed]

Tried the NH844 from Dharmapuri to Hosur, and it saved a lot of time.

The turn-off from NH44 is not easy to miss, and the highway was well-lit for a good 50+km. Since we took this route at the dead of the night, there was hardly anyone on that road. There was an Innova, a Taigun and a taxi Etios, besides our car, doing sane speeds for the 4-lane, and driving almost like a convoy by maintaining a safe distance from each other.

There are unlit sections with diversions, so it's recommended to keep our eyes peeled and focus only on the road. We passed by a banged up Etios at one of the diversions, which, to me, appeared to have missed the sign and took a dip in the ditch. Some sections, especially after the toll-booth (which is not operational), have WIP stretches that can take anyone by surprise.

The Rayakottai to Hosur stretch isn't particularly smooth, maybe the TN Highways dept decided not to spend a lot on maintaining this stretch that's going to be upgraded by the NHAI.

The road connects to the Hosur ring road - so one can either bypass the NH44 by heading to Attibele TVS factory side, or merge with the Bangalore highway, depending on the time of the day. We took the latter, since traffic was thin and as expected, the Attibele toll was free.

With the kind of traffic and delays caused by the many diversions on NH44, Google Maps started suggesting the Mettur-Bhavani route instead of the highway. After paying Rs.800+ as toll between Walayar and Attibele, I feel short-changed for the road conditions we have to put up with.

[RoadTripLover_]

Pune to Munnar in May with family

Vehicle - Skoda Kushaq 1.5 Auto

After considering various suggestions, my family and I embarked on a road trip from Pune to Munnar, and I'd like to share our experience.

We set off on Friday evening and reached Kolhapur by 7 pm. I avoid driving at night, so I always aim to arrive before sunset. The highway had numerous diversions due to ongoing construction, which hopefully will improve once it's completed.

Our plan was to leave early Saturday morning at 4 am and drive to Salem. However, as is often the case with road trips, unexpected events unfolded. My older daughter fell ill during the night and wasn't able to wake up early.

At one point, we even considered cancelling the trip altogether, but things started to look up. We consulted a doctor in Kolhapur, got medication for our daughter, and decided to proceed. By the time we were ready to leave, it was already afternoon, but our daughter was feeling much better.

We resumed our journey and reached Chitradurga in the evening. Diversions persisted until Belagavi, and after Dharwad, we had to endure a 30 km stretch of two-lane highway behind trucks. Along the way, we booked a hotel called Mayuradurga, which seemed to be the best option available in Chitradurga on Booking.com.

May 5th coincided with a religious festival in Chitradurga, causing heavy congestion in the city as people gathered for festivities. It was quite challenging to navigate through the crowded streets to reach our hotel, but with the help of locals, we managed. lesson learnt - always book hotels on the highway for halting purpose.

The medication began to take effect, and by the next morning, our daughter was feeling much better. We continued our journey towards Salem, encountering excellent road conditions until our destination. Kushaq, cruised smoothly for most of the journey, allowing us to maintain a good speed on the highways. There was some traffic when we bypassed Bangalore, but it was manageable.

We stayed at the Grand Estencia in Salem, conveniently located right on the highway, offering excellent amenities. It provided us with a relaxing environment to recharge before continuing our journey to Munnar the next day.

Setting off in the morning after a hearty breakfast, we headed towards Munnar via Dindigul-Theni. The initial 170 km stretch was a four-lane highway, followed by hilly terrain leading to Munnar. I prefer to drive cautiously, maintaining a speed of 30 km/hour on the hilly roads, which were in good condition and not too challenging for experienced drivers. For those new to driving in such terrains, I would recommend gaining some experience in places with lesser elevations, like Lonavala or Mahabaleshwar, before attempting Munnar.

Upon entering the Munnar area, we were greeted with breathtaking views. We made several stops along the way to capture the beauty of the tea gardens and the awe-inspiring landscape. Family was truly overwhelmed by the beauty of the surroundings, confirming why Kerala is often referred to as "God's Own Country."

Munnar is beautiful. words and picture cannot capture the beauty of this place. After spending 3-4 days there, we decided to head back.
earlier plan was to go to Coimbatore, visit Adi yogi and then to Pune. but it was too hot that we dropped the idea of visiting Coimbatore this time.
We came back via the same route with two stops on the way at Hosur and Belagavi.
Munnar -> Dindigul -> Salem -> Hosur -> Dharwad -> Belagavi -> Kolhapur -> Satara -> Pune

[vandemanw]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Tried the NH844 from Dharmapuri to Hosur, and it saved a lot of time.

Planning on this Sunday late afternoon start from Thrissur to Bangalore. I have 2 queries:

1. Does the bhavani- mettur route, bypassing Salem, make sense if crossing that stretch after sunset (considering 2 lane roads and WIP sections?)

2. How much time could I save taking the NH844 from dharmapuri- TVS factory- Attibele route, compared to the usual highway route (Sunday evening/night)?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by silversteed

The Rayakottai to Hosur stretch isn't particularly smooth, maybe the TN Highways dept decided not to spend a lot on maintaining this stretch that's going to be upgraded by the NHAI.
..
The road connects to the Hosur ring road - so one can either bypass the NH44 by heading to Attibele TVS factory side, or merge with the Bangalore highway, depending on the time of the day. We took the latter, since traffic was thin and as expected, the Attibele toll was free.

If you see NH844 actually does not enter Hosur town. Before Hosur, you will hit a forest range called Sanamavu Forest Range. The Real 844 ideally breaks-off here and has a totally different alignment leading way beyond the Hosur ring road.
See this post for reference: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post5698922 (Bangalore to Coimbatore : Route Queries)

The 4-lane that is done towards Hosur from this point is not a part of the NH844 alignment. Good thats it's a 4-lane, but like you said, once more people start using this section, it may improve.

Originally Posted by vandemanw

Planning on this Sunday late afternoon start from Thrissur to Bangalore. I have 2 queries:

1. Does the bhavani- mettur route, bypassing Salem, make sense if crossing that stretch after sunset (considering 2 lane roads and WIP sections?)

2. How much time could I save taking the NH844 from dharmapuri- TVS factory- Attibele route, compared to the usual highway route (Sunday evening/night)?

Bhavani-Mettur bypass I guess may not be needed. It's still good to go via Salem. The Tharamangalam/Omalur also in my opinion is not worth it.

As regards to using NH844 the most important advanvtage you can make is use the Hosur ring road there on to TVS road to come directly to Chandapura. In the process this would avoid the Krishnagiri toll, construction work at Hosur, state border and the Attibele toll. But what you have to sacrifice in terms of road diversions, I really dont know.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Tried the NH844 from Dharmapuri to Hosur, and it saved a lot of time.

Thanks for the update. I took this road yesterday during daytime and it was a good decision. Work has progressed much since I last travelled in Jan 2023.

Originally Posted by silversteed

The Rayakottai to Hosur stretch isn't particularly smooth, maybe the TN Highways dept decided not to spend a lot on maintaining this stretch that's going to be upgraded by the NHAI.

I usually take the Rayakkotai-Denkanikottai-Kelamangalam route and join Attibelle, as this road has better surface than the Rayakkotai-Hosur stretch. This road also has widening happening at a few stretches. A sad thing I observed is that the entire green cover is lost due to widening. Fully grown trees on both sides are axed.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by vandemanw

1. Does the bhavani- mettur route, bypassing Salem, make sense if crossing that stretch after sunset (considering 2 lane roads and WIP sections?)

If you're starting from Thrissur after sunset, I'm expecting you to exit the highway towards Bhavani by 9-10 in the night, which would help you avoid all the traffic in the towns that dot the stretch.

Originally Posted by vandemanw

2. How much time could I save taking the NH844 from dharmapuri- TVS factory- Attibele route, compared to the usual highway route (Sunday evening/night)?

You could save an hour, perhaps, but YMMV. This route avoids the Attibele tollbooth, Zuzuwadi checkpost and the flyover construction in the area, plus the traffic towards Chennai. More than the savings in terms of time, I was happy with the relatively more peaceful drive.

Originally Posted by ampere

... Sanamavu...

Thanks, that rings a bell. We always wondered when we see the elephant crossing signboard on the main highway, how would any elephant attempt to come near this noisy, human-infested "forest". I hope the tuskers are given their rightful space with the NH844 alignment...

Originally Posted by bejoy

I usually take the Rayakkotai-Denkanikottai-Kelamangalam route and join Attibelle, as this road has better surface than the Rayakkotai-Hosur stretch. This road also has widening happening at a few stretches. A sad thing I observed is that the entire green cover is lost due to widening. Fully grown trees on both sides are axed.

Rayakottai - Denkanikottai - Kelamangalam is a lot circuitous, isn't it? Or, did you mean Rayakottai - Kelamangalam? Reading your statement regarding road widening alongside Amp's post above, it could be that you're referring to the actual alignment of NH844.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Rayakottai - Denkanikottai - Kelamangalam is a lot circuitous, isn't it? Or, did you mean Rayakottai - Kelamangalam? Reading your statement regarding road widening alongside Amp's post above, it could be that you're referring to the actual alignment of NH844.

The new 844 alignment is still not in play around Hosur. But yes at Rayakottai you can exit 844 and directly go to Kelamanagalam without touching Denkanikottai. That way you can directly hit Hosur bypass and from there on to TVS. This currently is the best option instead of going all the way to Hosur ring road.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Rayakottai - Denkanikottai - Kelamangalam is a lot circuitous, isn't it? Or, did you mean Rayakottai - Kelamangalam? Reading your statement regarding road widening alongside Amp's post above, it could be that you're referring to the actual alignment of NH844.

My bad. Yes, it is Rayakottai-Kelamangalam route. What I saw was road widening with dividers around towns and not full fledged 4 landing.

[narayanang76]

Tried the redeveloped NH844 (from Hosur to Dharmapuri, TN) during my last weekend drive from Bangalore to Karala.

Overall, the road I would say is 80% complete and is drivable currently. overall distance is 20KM less, saves an hour or so and Google even says we save 8% fuel on this route :-)

Road condition:
Entered NH844 from Hosur, Alasanatham lake side. From Asoka Pillar, the 4-lane road starts and google is showing it as NH844 itself, I am not sure if this is right. Between Hosur and Rayakottai, the roads are a mix of old single lane carriageways, new redeveloped highway and 2-3 section of muddy roads under construction but still manageable to drive. The current muddy trails maybe difficult during rains though.

From Rayakottai to Dharmapuri, the roads are much better, and we can cruise at decent speeds. Its less vehicles and no tolls on this route currently. The exit to NH44 is also done nicely.

One sample section from the road, front camera view:

https://youtu.be/cB52M-PQ-ik?si=4c9EiPpRTRAPX2lM

One sample section from the road, rear camera view:

https://youtu.be/UWM1JLsN-Y0?si=171vrjFMHsboXDhh

We entered Hosur around 12:45 PM and exited at NH44 @ Dharmapuri at around 2:10 PM via this NH844.

Cheers,
narayanang76

[Aviator_guy]

P

Originally Posted by narayanang76

Tried the redeveloped NH844 (from Hosur to Dharmapuri, TN) during my last weekend drive from Bangalore to Karala.

Overall, the road I would say is 80% complete and is drivable currently. overall distance is 20KM less, saves an hour or so and Google even says we save 8% fuel on this route :-)

Are you referring to the alternate route this Gmap shows in light blue from Hosur to Dharamapuri? For me, it shows 11km shorter but 25 minutes longer than regular NH44 .

Am I missing something?

[Krish_Diesel]

Hello BHPians,

I am planning to travel from Bangalore (KR Puram) to Wayanad (Kuruva Island Resorts). Please suggest the best route to reach this place and also the road conditions.