[FuelInjector]

Just back from a road trip to Calicut. Very good roads from Clt upto gundulupet. Trenches dug in Bandipur gundulupet stretch. Best to not slowdown as it kicks up your car bottom. Some trenches were filled with mud. So sleep wing down was like calling a joke on you .

Gundulupet to chamrajnagar is patchy but still cruisable. Funny blockades at the kollegal bridge. One side is broken already. The ASI temple monument in yelandur seemed to be broken for some reason. The countryside is very beautiful wig lush green fields of paddy and sugarcanes. Sunflowers are also seen in the usual Bandipur to gdp drive.

Left Clt by 5:30am and was in Blr nice road junction by 11am. Then was the killer traffic to get to Indira Nagar.

Stopped at my usual Nijaguna residency. Some new has given the feedback for quicker service, was done in 15 mins there.

Cops at vythiri and lakkidi. Mainly checking for insurance and pollution certificate. New fuel station at bathery. Open 24 hours !

Family of elephants crossed. But was ignorant to us. And we drivers let it live in peace and ignored it. Few folks passed by, but they also let it stroll on the roadside in peace. Nice to see that.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Just back from a road trip to Calicut. Very good roads from Clt upto gundulupet. Trenches dug in Bandipur gundulupet stretch. Best to not slowdown as it kicks up your car bottom. Some trenches were filled with mud. So sleep wing down was like calling a joke on you .

Gundulupet to chamrajnagar is patchy but still cruisable.

@FuelInjector - Glad to know you had a good drive overall, Thanks for the update!
On our last trip, there was just one place in the Gundlupet-Bandipur stretch that had an undulation, almost like a "reverse speed bump" and it wasn't worrisome. I wonder why they keep going back to this situation of multiple "trenches"

Funny blockades at the kollegal bridge. One side is broken already. The ASI temple monument in yelandur seemed to be broken for some reason.

You mean the mini-wall is broken on one side ? Is the overhead barricade (to prevent taller vehicles) still there ?

Good to know Nijaguna service has improved

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by NPV

You mean the mini-wall is broken on one side ? Is the overhead barricade (to prevent taller vehicles) still there ?

Good to know Nijaguna service has improved

Yes. It looked like someone had rammed into the wall. The overhead barricade is gone and a lot of water is flowing down the bridge.

We searched for Vasu hotel with the Kannada knowledge that Priya and Shyam had. But of no avail

[kala]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Yes. It looked like someone had rammed into the wall. The overhead barricade is gone and a lot of water is flowing down the bridge.

We searched for Vasu hotel with the Kannada knowledge that Priya and Shyam had. But of no avail

Interesting.. The overhead barrier was still in place when I passed through there less than 2 weeks ago (26th Oct), but the barricade wall on the Bangalore side of the bridge was damaged even then - looked like a big vehicle had rammed into it.

Vasu Hotel is a tough one to locate unless you know where it is. The coordinates (as shown on Google Maps) is 12.549589, 77.424160. When you're coming from Bangalore it's on the left side about 300 meters from the S shaped curve at the start of town where the road with the median begins. And about 100 meters before the junction where you see lot of KSRTC buses coming out from a side road on the left (that's the road that leads to the bus stand). Not sure if the name Vasu Hotel is marked anywhere (If at all present I'm sure it must be in Kannada), but there's a board that says "LVH" (I think) near the entrance to the place. It doesn't look like a hotel entrance, but more like an entrance to a house courtyard.

I've tried the hotel once for breakfast, but wasn't too impressed - The food was fine, but it was too crowded for comfort, and felt quite unorganized and understaffed as well.

[goandude]

The above posts point out that some parts of Malavalli to Mysore road is under construction. But can anyone be more specific about which parts are bad. I am asking, as going from Bangalore to Nanjangud, I want to turn Left at Kirugavalu (half way between Malavalli and Bannur) to T Narasipura. Thanks

[kala]

Originally Posted by goandude

The above posts point out that some parts of Malavalli to Mysore road is under construction. But can anyone be more specific about which parts are bad. I am asking, as going from Bangalore to Nanjangud, I want to turn Left at Kirugavalu (half way between Malavalli and Bannur) to T Narasipura. Thanks

If you're referring to my report from last October, the worst stretches between Malavalli and Bannur were after Kirugavalu. There might have been some work in progress before that also, but those were smaller stretches - not extended ones like the ones after Kiragavalu.

Any idea about the road conditions from Kiragavalu to T.Narsipur ? I travelled on the road from Bannur to T.Narsipur (The one via Somnathpura) about a year or two ago and it was in pretty good condition then, but have never tried this one before.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by kala

If you're referring to my report from last October, the worst stretches between Malavalli and Bannur were after Kirugavalu. There might have been some work in progress before that also, but those were smaller stretches - not extended ones like the ones after Kiragavalu.

Any idea about the road conditions from Kiragavalu to T.Narsipur ? I travelled on the road from Bannur to T.Narsipur (The one via Somnathpura) about a year or two ago and it was in pretty good condition then, but have never tried this one before.

Thanks, that input was what I was looking for, bypassing Mysore and cutting some distance to Nanjangud.

As for your query regarding road from Kirugavalu to T Narsipur. I have searched this forum but have not got an answer. Can anybody throw some light on this?

[kala]

Originally Posted by goandude

The above posts point out that some parts of Malavalli to Mysore road is under construction. But can anyone be more specific about which parts are bad. I am asking, as going from Bangalore to Nanjangud, I want to turn Left at Kirugavalu (half way between Malavalli and Bannur) to T Narasipura. Thanks

Originally Posted by kala

If you're referring to my report from last October, the worst stretches between Malavalli and Bannur were after Kirugavalu. There might have been some work in progress before that also, but those were smaller stretches - not extended ones like the ones after Kiragavalu.

Any idea about the road conditions from Kiragavalu to T.Narsipur ? I travelled on the road from Bannur to T.Narsipur (The one via Somnathpura) about a year or two ago and it was in pretty good condition then, but have never tried this one before.

Update - Tried out this route on my way back from Wayanad today. Details :

Gundlupet-Nanjangud : 2 lane with good surface, but generally heavy traffic and speed breakers off and on near villages / cross roads.

Nanjangud-T.Narsipur : Crossing Nanjangud was a pain with lots of traffic and a long wait at the right turn from NH212 to the State Highway leading to Chamarajnagar/ T.Narsipur. Initial 6 to 7 kms has broken roads, but the remaining 25 kms are good and has low traffic. Watch out for unmarked speed breakers at villages.

T.Narsipur- Kirugavalu - Malavalli: The first 6 or 7 kms of this route is excellent, but from there on it is in terrible condition - About 80-90% of the remaining stretch is undergoing tarring and there's a bridge across a canal that is under construction forcing you to take a detour through almost non-existent roads for about 2 kms. Even after hitting SH33 at Kirugavalu, the stretch from there till Malavalli is also entirely dug up and retarring is in progress.

In addition the narrow bridge across Cauvery at T.Narsipur is also a potential bottleneck since it has just enough width for one HTV and LMV to pass.

Verdict : Not recommended for at least another 3-4 months till the road work is complete. The alternate I have reported in another thread is much much better. (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3597348)

[goandude]

Originally Posted by kala;3597351
Verdict : Not recommended for at least another 3-4 months till the road work is complete. The alternate I have reported in another thread is much much better. ([URL

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/27690-all-roads-kerala-528.html#post3597348[/url])

Thanks for the very detailed report. It is exactly the input I required for my planned trip to Ooty end Dec. Let me see your alternative suggestion.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by kala

Update - Tried out this route on my way back from Wayanad today.

Thanks for the update.
So it is confirmed that bridge is closed.

Read your route details in other thread too, I was thinking you took deviation from point marked as A in this map while reading your post. Only after seeing your maps link I made out that you took right turn from NH 209 much sooner after Malavalli.

The turn off I was mentioning off is here.

Will try this route this month end when travelling to Calicut. Do not want to take Mysore route, more so since it is an extended weekend.

[kala]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Thanks for the update.
So it is confirmed that bridge is closed.

Read your route details in other thread too, I was thinking you took deviation from point marked as A in this map while reading your post. Only after seeing your maps link I made out that you took right turn from NH 209 much sooner after Malavalli.

The turn off I was mentioning off is here.

Will try this route this month end when travelling to Calicut. Do not want to take Mysore route, more so since it is an extended weekend.

My nephew had tried that route last weekend (He went upto the bridge and realized that it was closed, so took the Talakad deviation). His reports about the route wasn't very encouraging. That is the reason why I wanted to try this first turn-off towards Talakad after the left turn at the T junction in Malavalli.

There are 2 more roads on NH209 marked as Talakad - the first one starts off very near Malavalli town (You need to take a right at the T Junction and immediate left), and the second one is after you go about 7-8 kms towards Shivanasamudra - that one goes directly to Belakavadi and then to Talakad. Can't say which one is best until you try them out. Any volunteers ?

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by kala

My nephew had tried that route last weekend (He went upto the bridge and realized that it was closed, so took the Talakad deviation).

Thanks for the information.
Also, any specific reason you took the Talakadu - T Narasipura route instead of this route.

[kala]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Thanks for the information.
Also, any specific reason you took the Talakadu - T Narasipura route instead of this route.

Based on advice received from locals.

The person who told me to take a right turn onto the Belakavadi-T.Narsipur road rather than take take the straight road to Talakad also said the road via Talakad was much better than the direct one to T.Narsipur - I just decided to follow the advice since there wasn't too much of difference in the distance.

[redrage]

I was on the Kanakpura road yesterday took the Malavalli - T Narsipura road via the Marehalli Lake and Belakvadi road, other than 2 small patches of bad roads (less than 200 mts each but low GC sedans will find it difficult my accent could take it with ease) and the the narrow bridge joining to the T Narsipura main over bridge road, the route is scenic and excellent to drive only downside is its narrow, when i travelled there was average vehicle movement so it was ok to navigate.Reached Santhemarahalli Junction from TNpura and from there it was a breeze to Chamrajnagar (Wider roads).

Route link
https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/12...1471!3e0?hl=en

[binand]

Originally Posted by kala

The person who told me to take a right turn onto the Belakavadi-T.Narsipur road rather than take take the straight road to Talakad

Originally Posted by redrage

I was on the Kanakpura road yesterday took the Malavalli - T Narsipura road via the Marehalli Lake and Belakvadi road.

Reached Santhemarahalli Junction from TNpura and from there it was a breeze to Chamrajnagar (Wider roads).

@Kala - can you please confirm if this is the route?

https://goo.gl/maps/8ijE8

This does not seem to go anywhere near Marehalli lake, so Redrage took a different route?

In any case, if I recall correctly Yelandur and all the alleyway-villages between Kollegal and Ch. Nagar come after the Santhemarahalli junction; so your assessment of wider roads is not strictly true, is it?