Heavy traffic congestion was reported on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Thursday morning following persistent rainfall and route diversions. All lanes were temporarily blocked, causing significant delays for commuters.
A user on social media platform X, @rushikesh_agre_, shared a video capturing long queues of stationary vehicles. In his post, he stated, “All lanes are blocked at the moment due to diversions,” and urged people to avoid non-essential travel. The video showed a complete traffic standstill with vehicles lined up for several kilometers.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India’s first access-controlled expressway and a lifeline connecting two of Maharashtra’s busiest cities, is now slated for a major upgrade.
According to sources, the expressway will be expanded into a 10-lane corridor to ease congestion, enhance road safety, and improve travel time for the growing number of commuters in the near future. This plan is in its initial stage.
“Current road capacity is insufficient to handle the rising traffic volume. Detailed surveys have confirmed the urgent need for additional lanes,” said an official from the state transport department.
Spanning 94.5 km, the expressway is a crucial economic link between Mumbai and Pune. However, increasing traffic—particularly during weekends and holidays—has led to frequent bottlenecks and travel delays.
Authorities expect that the proposed widening will significantly improve the commuting experience and reduce the burden on existing infrastructure.
