I wrote a post on inordinate toll collected nearby Mangalore here. On our current iteration from Kaup to Bangalore, we decided to follow different chart via Karkala. The distance is farther by 4kms but can avoid Rs.110 toll. Moreover the traffic heck is minimal.
So how did journey go. Except for curvy roads the drive was smoother and as expected , paltry traffic. No heavy trucks, no signals, no town traffic, no toll. Karkala has bypass which saves maximum time. My intention was not to eschew toll fee but to avoid the traffic mayhem from Suratkal to Mani. Despite Mangalore city having bypass, the traffic on city outskirts also hamper the smooth journey. There are couple of signals which hinder the expressway traffic. Also the toll road is poorly maintained to pay such a high fee. The drive from Bantwal to Uppinangadi is most dreaded with heavy trucks impeding smooth flow. The snaky paths add more misery obstructing smooth overtake. Owing to aforementioned obstacles, I chose new path to Uppinangadi. Even Google maps suggested me to choose this new path (the picture is for illustration only and does not reflect the actual route suggested by map)
The journey was smooth barring few skepticism near Naravi where I felt like losing path. The apprehension warded off when maps affirmed rightness of the path. I covered uppinangadi in 2hrs same as tolled road. I was glad to make this decision which saved me from city traffic and toll road.
The disadvantage of the new route as mentioned is too many curvy paths. Sometimes, the roads are narrow and jagged. But this barely caused concern for us. Despite curves, it was possible to consistently maintain 60kmph.
How about fuel consumption?
One would assume due to curves, the breaking may be frequent and may lead to higher fuel consumption. But that was not the case. It requires 1500 worth of petrol from Kaup to Bangalore and the new route did not add overhead. In fact, it was marginally cheap. This may be attributed to the subdued traffic in this route. The Mangalore route is infested high volume of truck traffic which entails consistent braking and gear shifts. Despite being four laned, the density of traffic dwarfs the advantage of wide roads.
When highways are expanded, they are equally abuzz with vehicular movement. Good roads lead to prosperity provided we have signal free, strictly patrolled, disciplined lane driving and towns with bypass. That is not the case with NH-66. The city traffic extends to outskirts. The roads are ill maintained. The construction of railway underpass surpassed 10 years without completion. Untidy management of port traffic, reckless truck drivers, the wrong siders, inflate commute time. More than that, the peace of mind gets disturbed far early.
The cons of interior route
During monsoon season, this interior road may be trampled soon due to lack of maintenance. Also the interior places face heavy rains than those near coast. During rains, the curves may pose threat to drive due to absence of guard rails. Nevertheless, watchful drive can easily supersede these cons.
So how did journey go. Except for curvy roads the drive was smoother and as expected , paltry traffic. No heavy trucks, no signals, no town traffic, no toll. Karkala has bypass which saves maximum time. My intention was not to eschew toll fee but to avoid the traffic mayhem from Suratkal to Mani. Despite Mangalore city having bypass, the traffic on city outskirts also hamper the smooth journey. There are couple of signals which hinder the expressway traffic. Also the toll road is poorly maintained to pay such a high fee. The drive from Bantwal to Uppinangadi is most dreaded with heavy trucks impeding smooth flow. The snaky paths add more misery obstructing smooth overtake. Owing to aforementioned obstacles, I chose new path to Uppinangadi. Even Google maps suggested me to choose this new path (the picture is for illustration only and does not reflect the actual route suggested by map)
The journey was smooth barring few skepticism near Naravi where I felt like losing path. The apprehension warded off when maps affirmed rightness of the path. I covered uppinangadi in 2hrs same as tolled road. I was glad to make this decision which saved me from city traffic and toll road.
The disadvantage of the new route as mentioned is too many curvy paths. Sometimes, the roads are narrow and jagged. But this barely caused concern for us. Despite curves, it was possible to consistently maintain 60kmph.
How about fuel consumption?
One would assume due to curves, the breaking may be frequent and may lead to higher fuel consumption. But that was not the case. It requires 1500 worth of petrol from Kaup to Bangalore and the new route did not add overhead. In fact, it was marginally cheap. This may be attributed to the subdued traffic in this route. The Mangalore route is infested high volume of truck traffic which entails consistent braking and gear shifts. Despite being four laned, the density of traffic dwarfs the advantage of wide roads.
When highways are expanded, they are equally abuzz with vehicular movement. Good roads lead to prosperity provided we have signal free, strictly patrolled, disciplined lane driving and towns with bypass. That is not the case with NH-66. The city traffic extends to outskirts. The roads are ill maintained. The construction of railway underpass surpassed 10 years without completion. Untidy management of port traffic, reckless truck drivers, the wrong siders, inflate commute time. More than that, the peace of mind gets disturbed far early.
The cons of interior route
During monsoon season, this interior road may be trampled soon due to lack of maintenance. Also the interior places face heavy rains than those near coast. During rains, the curves may pose threat to drive due to absence of guard rails. Nevertheless, watchful drive can easily supersede these cons.
Thank you for showing us around
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