What should have been a relaxing holiday escape turned into a highway nightmare for thousands of travelers as the Pune-Satara-Bengaluru highway was brought to a standstill by massive traffic jams. From early morning, long queues of cars, buses, and trucks stretched for kilometers, leaving families, tourists, and daily commuters stranded for hours under the scorching sun.
The chaos began at dawn on the Pune-Satara stretch of the highway, a crucial route connecting Maharashtra to Karnataka and beyond. With schools and offices closed for the weekend, the number of vehicles surged far beyond normal capacity. By 9 a.m., traffic had slowed to a crawl, with some travelers reporting delays of up to four hours between Pune and Satara.
Social media was flooded with frustrated posts, images, and videos of the endless lines of vehicles. Hashtags like #PuneBengaluruHighway and #SataraTraffic trended on X (formerly Twitter), as stranded travelers vented their anger and sought updates.
The long weekend prompted a spike in outbound travel, with thousands heading towards tourist hotspots in Satara, Mahabaleshwar, Kolhapur, and Bengaluru. Multiple construction and repair projects on the highway, especially near Khed Shivapur and Wai Phata, narrowed lanes and created bottlenecks, worsening the congestion.
Heavy traffic at toll booths, especially at Khed Shivapur and Anewadi, led to further pile-ups as vehicles queued for kilometers waiting to pay tolls. Minor accidents and vehicle breakdowns added to the chaos, blocking lanes and slowing down emergency response vehicles.
By noon, Maharashtra Highway Police had deployed additional personnel to manage traffic flow and assist stranded travelers. Water tankers and medical aid were dispatched to key choke points. Officials urged travelers to stay patient, keep vehicles fueled, and avoid unnecessary overtaking.
With the holiday season in full swing, authorities are urging travelers to plan ahead and expect delays on major highways. The Pune-Bengaluru highway, a lifeline for interstate travel, desperately needs better infrastructure, smarter traffic management, and more responsive emergency services.
