Patches of the highway crossing from Pune saw huge traffic snarls as people traveled to and from their native places like Satara, Sangli, and Kolhapur from Pune and Mumbai on Wednesday.
Voting for the state assembly election was held in Satara district today, Wednesday, along with other parts of the state. On the occasion of voting, many voters living outside the constituency, in Pune, Mumbai, and other places, returned to their hometowns to cast their votes, while some were still on their way. Similarly, voters who had arrived a day or two ago were returning after voting.
However, due to the halted work on widening the six-lane Pune-Bangalore National Highway, traffic jams were reported at various locations. Citizens traveling from Pune and Mumbai to vote in their villages were caught in long traffic queues, raising concerns about whether they would make it in time to vote. The lack of action from the administration led to frustration and anger among the voters.
From Suvarna Mandir at Navle Bridge on the Pune-Satara highway to Varve, nearly 15 kilometers of vehicle queues were observed, causing significant delays. The road to Satara was also jammed. The heavy construction work at Khed Shivapur and Shivre (Bhor) diverted vehicles traveling to Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Mahabaleshwar. Vehicles were stuck at various points, including Navle Bridge, Golden Temple, Daripul, Gogalwadi Phata, Kondhanpur Phata, and Khed. The congestion at Shivapur toll plaza and Shivre added to the chaos.
Voters traveling to their villages were concerned whether they would be able to cast their votes in time. Passengers expressed displeasure, pointing out that construction, responsible for the flyover work at Shivre, had not improved the situation. Many ambulances were also caught in the traffic jam. After receiving numerous complaints from the public, the police and other administrative agencies took action, clearing the traffic after two hours.
