Mumbai: Commuters travelling between Mumbai and Pune faced severe inconvenience on Saturday morning as the Mumbai–Pune Expressway witnessed massive traffic congestion, bringing vehicular movement to a near standstill on both sides of the corridor. Several motorists reported being stuck for hours, with traffic moving at a crawl in multiple stretches.
Likely Reasons Behind Worsening Congestion
According to reports quoting commuters, the congestion was caused by a combination of unplanned maintenance work and heavy weekend traffic. Fresh tarmac-laying work near a toll plaza late Friday night reportedly led to the closure of two lanes, creating a major bottleneck that continued into Saturday morning.
The situation worsened in the Borghat section, where traffic was reportedly completely blocked. Local news portal PuneNow, quoting motorists, reported that heavy trucks had occupied multiple lanes and a vehicle breakdown at a critical turning point reduced movement to just one lane for smaller vehicles.
Many commuters expressed frustration on social media platform X over the lack of lane discipline, alleging that heavy vehicles were using the extreme right overtaking lane, especially in the ghat section, despite being unable to maintain speed on steep stretches. Several motorists also complained about the absence of real-time traffic alerts, diversions or visible traffic management at key choke points.
To manage the surge of long weekend travellers, highway police reportedly stopped Mumbai-bound traffic for intervals of 20 to 30 minutes to allow Pune-bound vehicles to clear, adding to delays for those heading towards Mumbai.
Recent Accident Reported On Expressway
The traffic woes were compounded by a serious accident reported late Friday night near Gahunje. A Mercedes-Benz car rammed into a container allegedly parked on the roadside. The collision left four occupants of the car seriously injured. Police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to a private hospital at Somatane Phata for treatment.
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