The continuous downpour in Pune from last week has led to severe traffic congestion at Navale Bridge on the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway, disrupting daily commutes and raising concerns about infrastructure. The incessant rainfall has caused waterlogging on key stretches, slowing vehicle movement, with commuters reporting delays of over two hours.
Infamous for traffic and accidents, Navale Bridge reports traffic congestion on busy days; however, the traffic snarls trouble commuters even more during the monsoon.
Commuters speak up
“The junction where Navale Bridge begins, when approaching from the Mumbai side, hosts multiple drop-off points and offices, including a PMPML bus stop, cab pick-up/drop-off points, a VRL office, and an ST bus stop, all contributing to congestion at the main square,” said Yuvraj Gatkal, a resident of Shreya Apartment near Wadgaon Bridge. He added that traffic from Pune gets clogged at Warje Bridge and Wadgaon Bridge before reaching Navale Bridge.
Yash Sonawane, who owns a salon near Navale Hospital, noted, “Warje Bridge on the Mutha River and Wadgaon Bridge are smaller compared to Navale Bridge, which restricts the smooth flow of vehicles.”
“This bridge is a nightmare every monsoon. Water pools up, and traffic comes to a standstill. It took me three hours to cross a 5-km stretch today,” said Anil Shinde, a daily commuter traveling from Warje to Katraj for work.
Sunita Patankar echoed similar concerns: “Navale Bridge is always problematic, but the rain makes it worse. The authorities know this happens every year, yet nothing changes. We need better roads and drainage systems.”
The Pune traffic police acted swiftly after reports of heavy congestion surfaced on social media, increasing patrols and coordinating with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to address waterlogging.
New development to alleviate traffic
Rajkumar Barade, API (Traffic), stated that the Wadgaon Bridge and Warje Bridge are major bottlenecks affecting smooth traffic flow. He explained that the stretch of road from various service roads leading to Warje Bridge or Navale Bridge suffers from an inconsistent number of lanes, making traffic congestion inevitable.
"These bottlenecks have become a significant cause of traffic jams, particularly for vehicles traveling between Pune, Mumbai, Goa, and Bengaluru," he said.
Barade noted that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has undertaken a ₹52.68 crore project to double the capacity of the current bridge by adding four lanes—two on each side of the existing structure—over a 1.605 km stretch.
This development is expected to alleviate bottlenecks and improve traffic flow in critical areas, including Warje, Vadgaon, Narhe, and Ambegaon, he added.
"We are coordinating with the PMC to address roadside encroachments, and our staff is actively managing traffic to ensure smoother vehicle movement," Barade said.
He urged the public to follow traffic rules and avoid reckless driving, particularly by two-wheeler riders, during congested conditions.
