Pune: Every highway in and around Pune, including the Pune-Bengaluru Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, Pune-Nashik Highway, Pune-Solapur Highway, and other state highways, has reported heavier-than-usual traffic since morning. Especially on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Pune-Bengaluru Highway, traffic has been heavy since yesterday.
Today, 15th August, people have holidays on account of Independence Day. But today is also Friday, meaning the next two days are also holidays, making it a long weekend. Pune citizens, eager to enjoy nature, decided to take advantage of this brief break from their busy lives. Mumbaikars also joined in this rush for a getaway.
Lonavala, Khandala, Tamhini Ghat, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Bhimashankar, Mulshi, Khadakwasla, and Sinhagad, all these tourist destinations have reported heavy traffic according to Google Maps. On the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, especially near Lonavala and Khandala, traffic is moving so slowly that Google Maps shows it would take over 4 hours to cover 100 km, a distance that normally should not take this long on an expressway.
Many happy faces that left home this morning have not yet reached their destinations, with tourists still stuck in traffic. Also, due to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's visit to Alandi, traffic was reported there as well because of their convoys and safety protocols.
This Independence Day has thus been marked by a heavy traffic experience for Punekars.
