Mumbai: A massive traffic jam brought Mumbai’s crucial Sion–Panvel Highway to a standstill for hours, after a construction machine collapsed in the Mankhurd area late Tuesday night, triggering citywide outrage over infrastructure safety and traffic management.
The primary impact of the incident was felt on Wednesday, when vehicular movement between Chembur and Mankhurd, typically a 12 to 15-minute stretch, stretched into an exhausting five to six-hour ordeal. Hundreds of commuters remained stranded in bumper-to-bumper traffic throughout the day, with vehicles unable to move in either direction.
The chaos was triggered after a heavy excavation machine, being used for flyover construction, toppled onto the road around 11 pm on Tuesday. The equipment reportedly lost balance during ongoing work, possibly due to uneven ground conditions, blocking a key arterial route connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.
Amid the disruption, a tragic loss of life was also reported. Police constable Santosh Gopal Chavan (46), attached to Nehru Nagar police station, was critically injured when the machine fell on him while he was returning home on his motorcycle. He was rescued and rushed to hospital but was declared dead before treatment.
While emergency teams responded immediately, the delay in clearing the debris majorly worsened the situation. Authorities and contractors were expected to remove the fallen machinery overnight; however, clearance operations only began on Wednesday afternoon. The deployment of an additional crane in the middle of the highway to lift the equipment further choked traffic, bringing movement towards Navi Mumbai to a complete halt.
Commuters faced extreme hardship as they remained stuck for hours without access to basic amenities or clear updates. Long queues of cars, buses and trucks stretched across multiple kilometres, leading to widespread frustration and anger among motorists. Popular actress Sonali Kulkarni was among many who were stuck in the traffic jam. In a video posted on social media, she claimed to be stuck at the same place for five hours.
Traffic Returning To Normalcy By Today Morning
The gridlock persisted late into Wednesday night, severely affecting daily commuters and transport services along the busy corridor. However, officials confirmed that by Thursday morning, traffic flow had largely been restored and the highway was reopened for smooth movement.
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