Bhiwandi: Vehicular movement on the Mumbai–Nashik Highway came to a near standstill on Saturday morning after several kilometres of traffic congestion were reported near Bhiwandi, primarily on the Nashik-to-Mumbai carriageway. Thousands of commuters were left stranded for hours as vehicles crawled through the bottleneck, once again highlighting infrastructure gaps along the crucial arterial route.
Infrastructure Gaps
Officials attributed the gridlock to ongoing and incomplete flyover and bridge construction works along the stretch. While the road from Rajnoli to Pimplas is five lanes wide, including a service road, it abruptly narrows to two lanes further ahead, creating a choke point that intensifies during peak hours. The sudden reduction in carriageway width has been causing recurring congestion in the area.
The situation was further aggravated by a gradient along the affected patch, forcing heavy vehicles to slow down considerably. In some instances, trucks reportedly broke down mid-way, compounding the chaos and leading to long queues of cars, buses and goods carriers stretching for kilometres. Several commuters complained of being stuck in traffic for extended periods without any immediate relief.
Emergency Services Trapped
The traffic snarl also impacted emergency services, with multiple ambulances caught in the jam, raising concerns over potential delays in critical medical assistance. Local residents said that traffic congestion has become a frequent occurrence due to the slow pace of ongoing infrastructure projects.
Senior Traffic Police Inspector Sudhakar Yadav of Kongaon Traffic Division said that multiple flyovers and bridges are currently under construction on the Mumbai–Nashik Highway. From Rajnoli to Pimplas the road is five lanes wide, but it narrows to two lanes ahead, leading to congestion. With several bridge works underway simultaneously, traffic pressure on this stretch has increased significantly he said, adding that essential services were also affected.
Traffic personnel were deployed on the spot to regulate vehicular movement and ease congestion. However, officials admitted that until the pending infrastructure works are completed, commuters are likely to continue facing periodic disruptions on this key highway connecting Mumbai with northern Maharashtra.
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