Thousands of commuters faced hours-long delays on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Thursday as a massive traffic jam brought the Pune-bound corridor to a standstill. The disruption was triggered by a surge in vehicles heading out for the Maharashtra Day holiday, creating a bottleneck in the Bhor Ghat section.
According to the Expressway control room, traffic was backed up for nearly five kilometers on the Pune-bound side, particularly near the Amritanjan Bridge in the ghat section. This area is a frequent trouble spot, as heavy vehicles often slow down due to the steep gradient, further compounding congestion during peak travel times.
A passenger who was travelling to Pune described the ordeal, saying it took their bus over an hour just to cross the Amritanjan Bridge. “The traffic was barely moving. It was frustrating and exhausting,” the passenger said.
While the Pune-bound carriageway saw severe congestion, the Mumbai-bound side remained relatively smooth, though officials noted a higher-than-usual volume of cars.
Traffic control personnel were deployed in full force and managed to ease the gridlock by the afternoon. “Our teams worked continuously to manage the situation and clear the bottlenecks,” an official confirmed.
In a bid to alleviate future congestion, especially in the treacherous Ghat section, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is currently constructing a 'missing link' road. This new stretch will connect the Ghat section with the Sinhagad Institute area east of Lonavala, potentially bypassing the current choke point.
The Mumbai- Pune Expressway is a vital corridor linking Mumbai with Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and tourist hotspots like Lonavala and Mahabaleshwar. On long weekends and public holidays, the route often sees traffic volumes far beyond its capacity, resulting in recurring delays and bottlenecks.
