[manim]

Originally Posted by Gansan

...toll booths was in place and seemed operative...

Toll is not being collected yet. They are just conducting mock drills.

Originally Posted by gopikb

I am planning to drive to Tuticorin from Bangalore for Deepavali in October. So I will be driving through Madurai by pass road from Dindugal and join this road just after Madurai airport.

Given the road conditions now, how long do you think is needed to drive from Madurai airport to Tuticorin? Is the road between Madurai and Aruppukottai (40kms) very bad that we have to drive very slow on this stretch?

By Deepavali (November) the roads will improve still further, so you need not worry! (bye-passing Arupukottai is the nuisance with two huge fly-overs incomplete).

The 4-lane from Dindugal to Tirumangalam is superb. You need to take left before Tirumangalam for the ring road (which is 2-lane) and before the airport take the right to join Arupukottai rd.

I am a slow driver even in the best of our 4-lane roads (steady 80 kmph) and it takes me around 2+ hours. You may do it faster.

[gopikb]

Manim, Thank you very much. Yes, I am aware of the left to be taken from the Madurai - Tirumangalam road from the top of the flyover as the directions to Madurai airport was given. The last time I drove last December, I didnot make the turn here. Instead continued till Kovilpatti and then took the Ettayapuram road from there. This time I will take the Aruppukottai road. Hopefully more messes are cleared by that time. Thanks for correcting that Deepavali is in November.

You should not call yourself a slow driver, but a very careful driver which is best for Indian roads. I know you drive a Honda Civic from your previous posts. Dont you have the urge to push the pedal on free 4-lane roads? I guess a speed of 100km/hr is definitely very safe on a free road and that too with Honda Civic

[cLJ]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

That is a useful update, thanks, Gansan.
With the 4-laning of this Madurai-Tuticorin completed, I suppose we have to wait for only NH45 Trichy-Doindigul work to be completed.
I cannot think of any other ongoing 4-laning work, except for NH47 between Avinashi & Coimbatore.
Widening (2-lanes) of NH67 between Coimbatore and Thanjavur via Trichy is still on.

I travelled to Chennai by NH47 last week of August and I didn't see any road widening work at Avinashi & Coimbatore area.

What is the status of NH45 betwee Trichy and Dindigul as I have plan to travel to Nagapattinam during October/November and I will use this road?.

[qAnand]

Hello everyone
I am planning to drive from Chennai to Tirunelveli next week. I have driven Chennai to Madurai before but not beyond that. Pls suggest which route is 4 laned from Madurai to Tirunelveli. One of my friends suggested to take the Kovilpatti route.
Pls suggest

Thanks
qArs

[PRADEEP KUMAR]

Originally Posted by qAnand

Hello everyone
I am planning to drive from Chennai to Tirunelveli next week. I have driven Chennai to Madurai before but not beyond that. Pls suggest which route is 4 laned from Madurai to Tirunelveli. One of my friends suggested to take the Kovilpatti route.
Pls suggest

Thanks
qArs

Hi,
It is 4L all the way.
cheers

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by qAnand

Hello everyone
I am planning to drive from Chennai to Tirunelveli next week. I have driven Chennai to Madurai before but not beyond that. Pls suggest which route is 4 laned from Madurai to Tirunelveli. One of my friends suggested to take the Kovilpatti route.
Pls suggest

Thanks
qArs

Yes, the kovilpatti route is 4L and its 4L till Kanyakumari.

[qAnand]

Thank you.

Google Map does not suggest route via Kovilpatti. Check the map attached. The map suggested by Google Map is -
Madurai - Aruppukottai - Pandalkuddi - Tirunelveli

Also I wanted to know if you suggest Kovilpatti route, do I need to enter Madurai City?

-qARS

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by qAnand

The map suggested by Google Map is -
Madurai - Aruppukottai - Pandalkuddi - Tirunelveli

'Cos stupid Google Maps has some break on NH7 on its mapping. Virudhunagar-Tirunelveli doesn't show via NH7 that's how bad it is :P

Originally Posted by qAnand

Also I wanted to know if you suggest Kovilpatti route, do I need to enter Madurai City?

You don't need to. There is an useless 26 km 2-lane farce in the name of bypass connecting Trichy road to Tirunelveli road which takes 30-60 min depending on the time of the day. What time are you leaving Madras ?

[qAnand]

I am planning to leave Chennai at 4am. If you don't mind, please embed the map which you think is the best.

I am attaching one more route based on your update. Please suggest if this is the best route.

Thanks
qARS

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by qAnand

I am planning to leave Chennai at 4am. If you don't mind, please embed the map which you think is the best.

I am attaching one more route based on your update. Please suggest if this is the best route.

Thanks
qARS

This is the Gmap.

Its more easier to say in words:

- Cross 2nd toll booth at Othakadai, in 4-5 km the bypass towards (Rameswaram, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli) splits off from one heading towards Madurai city.
- Keep going straight for next 15-20 km, then the Y junction for Tuticorin comes up. The 4-laned road takes you to Tuticorin, continuing on the 2-laned road will land you on NH7 in the next 5-10 km.
- Take left here, thats it.

Crossing the bypass around 10am shouldn't be that bad. I had a terrible time crossing at 8pm and 10pm. It takes about 1 hr then. At 2pm, it hardly took 30 min for me.

[qAnand]

Thank you.
How much time it would normally take from Chennai to Tirunelveli by car?

-qARS

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by qAnand

How much time it would normally take from Chennai to Tirunelveli by car?

Since you've done Madurai before. From Othakadai toll booth, Tirunelveli'll take 2-2.5 hrs.

[saravananj]

Originally Posted by narayans80

You don't need to. There is an useless 26 km 2-lane farce in the name of bypass connecting Trichy road to Tirunelveli road which takes 30-60 min depending on the time of the day. What time are you leaving Madras ?

For the useless 26km 2-lane stretch they charged Rs 50 as toll. Is it possible to avoid this stretch and reach NH7 directly? IIRC this stretch started from Agri university onwards.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by saravananj

For the useless 26km 2-lane stretch they charged Rs 50 as toll. Is it possible to avoid this stretch and reach NH7 directly? IIRC this stretch started from Agri university onwards.

If Madurai isn't your final destination and you are heading south, you could drive via Trichy, catch Dindigul road and continue that way. It would be an additional 20 km that way. The catch is you have to cross Trichy in off peak timings. It took me 25-30 min to reach TVS tollgate from 4-lane end on Dindigul road on a lazy Sunday afternoon and ~ 45-60 min on a Friday at 530pm.

There isn't any other alternate from the Melur end, and going through Madurai city is a suicidal thing to do.

[Tempelhof]

How long will it take for me to cover the Tirunelveli - Madras route? I normally drive very fast...

Any pitfalls in this route? Anything major (horrible bend; blind corners; etc.) things to remember?

I plan to start from Nellai at about 0600.

Thanks in advance.