On Thursday (February 19), long queues of vehicles were reported on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway despite it being a weekday, a time when heavy congestion is usually limited to weekends or holidays. Heavy traffic was reported near the Khandala tunnel on the Pune–Mumbai stretch, with vehicles moving slowly in both directions. Congestion was observed not only on the Pune-to-Mumbai side but also on the Mumbai-to-Pune route, causing delays for commuters.
The disruption comes just days after a major gridlock was triggered when a tanker carrying flammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi tunnel, bringing traffic to a standstill for nearly one-and-a-half days. This is the second major traffic disruption on the expressway within a short span.
According to viral videos on social media, traffic on the Mumbai side of the Expressway came to a complete halt. Long lines extended for several kilometers, with people exiting their vehicles and standing on the Expressway, waiting for the congestion to ease.
However, the exact cause of the congestion remains unclear as of now. With Shivaji Jayanti being observed, followed by Friday and the weekend, officials suspect that an increase in outbound travel for a possible long weekend may have contributed to the heavy traffic flow.
After the tanker accident that caused a 32 hour long gridlock, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) announced that it has initiated the development of a specialized emergency traffic plan to more effectively manage similar situations in the future.
Meanwhile, the 13.3-km Missing Link project, designed to bypass the accident-prone Khandala–Lonavala ghat stretch, is expected to ease traffic congestion. The route, featuring two tunnels and cable-stayed bridges connecting Kusgaon and Khopoli, is likely to reduce Mumbai–Pune travel time by around 30 minutes.
