Chennai to Kumbakonam via an alternate route: Why I liked it

Traffic is particularly heavy in the late evening.

BHPian RGK recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

On Saturday, I made an one day trip to Kumbakonam via the famous alternate route: Ulundurpet - Vriddhachalam - Jayamkondam - Anaikarai - KKM. Starting at 5.30 a.m. and arriving at Thirunageswaram at 11.30 a.m. after two brief coffee breaks. Except for Vridhachalam and Jayamkondam town traffic, everything else went as usual.

The Anaikarai bridge is a breeze to cross now. While returning, I tried the Vadalur-Neyveli-Panruti route after almost 13 years.

Positives:

1. Surprisingly, the road quality is good throughout (road is bit bouncy at a few places, nothing serious). There are no surprises or potholes here.
2. Shorter by ~30 kilometers.
3. No diversions.
4. The merging of lanes (planned for 4-lane construction) is good with a new layer.
5. Hotel Krishna Bhavan Coffee at Vadalur is excellent.

Negatives:

1. Lack of visible work in several areas. Plants have emerged on the old roadside pavers (showing this project is being shelved for many years). It will take a few more years to complete the end-to-end highway from Vikravandi to Sethiathoppe.
2. Significant delay in Vadalur and Panruti towns (the railway over bridge in Panruti is a huge relief).
3. Traffic is particularly heavy in the late evening.
4. Because diversion boards are not clearly visible ahead of time, it is best to go at a reduced speed.

Overall, I was not disappointed by the Vadalur journey. If well planned, the coverage from Chn - Vikaravandi and from Sethiathoppe to Mayavaram byepass at KKM can be accelerated to offset problematic stretch.

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