Thane: Thousands of commuters and families faced significant difficulties traveling on Saturday during the Raksha Bandhan festival, as they were stranded for over an hour at several major traffic points including Mumbra, Narpoli in Bhiwandi, Kapurbawdi, Thane and Kalyan.
Heavy congestion was reported at Mumbra Toll Naka, Kharegaon, and along the Bhiwandi route, triggered by ongoing repair work on the Gaimukh-Ghodbunder stretch of National Highway 48 (NH-48). Earlier, the Thane Traffic Police issued a notification restricting the movement of heavy vehicles on the Thane-Ghodbunder Road from August 8 at 12 AM until 5:00 a.m. on August 11.
The traffic police said that the road work includes patch repairs measuring 300 to 400 meters between Kajupada and Nira Kendra on Gaimukh ghat. Authorities from the road department and Thane Traffic Police are coordinating to manage the traffic situation. Despite these efforts, long queues of vehicles were observed from the Kharegaon Toll Plaza to Kausa on Friday and Saturday causing severe delays.
Commuters report hour-long delays
Motorists reported that journeys which typically take 10 to 20 minutes stretched beyond an hour due to the traffic snarls on both the Mumbra-Kharegaon, Thane-Ghodbunder routes and Bhiwandi-Kalyan route.
According to Thane DCP (Traffic) Pankaj Shirsat, around 140 police personnel, including six senior police inspectors and 18 PSIs/APIs, were deployed at major diversion points to manage the chaos.
"Had this diversion been scheduled on a working day, the situation could have been a nightmare. Hence, we timed it from August 8 to August 11 considering the Raksha Bandhan holiday period," he told FPJ.
Residents Share Their Ordeal
Dolly Gupta, a home tutor from Bhiwandi, said she and her husband left for Kalyan on a motorcycle around 1:10 p.m. to celebrate Raksha Bandhan at her brother home in Vithalwadi. "It took us until 2:30 p.m. to reach Vithalwadi in Kalyan — a journey that usually takes 30–40 minutes," she recounted.
Similarly, Bhagwan Das, who had booked a cab from Bhiwandi to Thane with his wife and children to reach his brother-in-law's home in Thane to celebrate Rakshabandhan, said they were stuck in traffic for over an hour on the Anjurphata-Kasheli road. "The fare was hiked by Rs 40 to Rs 70 as compared to other days," he added.
Other commuters expressed frustration, urging authorities to avoid roadwork during festivals. "People travel with families during Raksha Bandhan. Such work should be done during weekends or non-festival days," one commuter said.
Poor road quality and potholes blamed
Naresh Manera, a former corporator from the UBT party, blamed the poor condition of the roads and the substandard materials used for repairs. "Before the monsoon, the road was already damaged. Now, only one lane is operational from Thane to Ghodbunder and from Ghodbunder to Thane, and potholes are the primary cause of traffic congestion. The solution for this stretch is to use concretization instead of asphalt or bitumen," he stated.
Heavy vehicle movement from JNPT Port, Mahape Road, and Navi Mumbai to Gujarat occurs through the Gaimukh Ghat stretch on Ghodbunder Road. The Ghodbunder Road is a major route linking Surat, Vapi, and Gujarat. Due to the work on Gaimukh Road, the authorities have diverted traffic via the Mumbai–Nashik Highway and Kharegaon, Mumbra Toll Naka. Unfortunately, the ongoing road repair work on this alternate route has also led to gridlocks.
Similarly, the heavy vehicles coming from Gujarat to Navi Mumbai were diverted via Chinchoti and Shirshat Phata.
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Traffic Diversions and Restrictions: Key Details
The Thane Traffic Police implemented temporary restrictions and diversions for heavy vehicles between August 8 and 11 to facilitate urgent road repairs on Ghodbunder Road.
Diversion Route for Heavy Vehicles:
Kapurbawdi → Kasheli → Majiwada → Kharegaon → Mankoli → Anjur Phata
Specific Traffic Control Measures:
From Mumbai/Thane to Ghodbunder Road:
Heavy vehicles blocked at V Junction and Kapurbawdi.
Alternative route: Via V Junction to Nashik Road → Kharegaon Toll → Mankoli → Anjur Phata.
From Mumbra/Kalwa to Ghodbunder Road:
Heavy vehicles stopped at Kharegaon Toll Nroute.
Alternative route: Kharegaon Toll → Mankoli → Anjur Phata.
