Mumbai: The first day of the work week commute on the Sion-Panvel highway turned into a nightmare for motorists, as the heavy downpour over the weekend and potholed roads resulted in a 2-km long traffic snarl, causing delays of an hour or more. Traffic police were deployed along the stretch but it was a while before the situation was under control.
The Sion-Panvel Highway is ridden with potholes to the extent that motorists complain they cannot spot the road. Even after repair work was recently undertaken, a number of potholes have cropped up. Afraid of losing life or limb, commuters often avoid taking this route at night.
The deplorable state of the this highway is despite the fact that it is one of the busiest in the country and an important junction for vehicles going towards Pune, Goa and the southern cities of Maharashtra via the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. These potholed roads led to the bumper-to-bumper traffic on Monday morning, leaving commuters stranded and helpless. Several Navi Mumbaikars posted videos and photos of the traffic jam on social media. A commuter, Akash Khadil, 37, said, "I waited for more than 45 minutes before I could resume my travel towards Mumbai."
