Pune Traffic: Christmas–New Year Travel Jam Hits Pune Exits and Major Highways Including Mumbai–Pune Expressway, Pune Nagar Road, Chakan Road and More
December 25, Pune and surrounding highways are facing heavy traffic congestion today as the Christmas weekend travel rush peaks and New Year plans start to take shape. Roads leading out of the city are seeing slow movement and long queues as holidaymakers head toward hill stations, weekend spots and festive destinations.
Traffic is particularly slow on Pune Nagar Road and Pune–Chakan Road, where outbound vehicles are moving at a crawl amid increased weekend and holiday travel. These are key routes for people leaving Pune for northern and regional getaways.
On the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, thousands of commuters experienced significant delays on both directions this afternoon. Video and on-ground reports show long queues near the Khandala ghat stretch and Lonavala area, where the surge of cars heading out of Pune and toward Mumbai’s weekend destinations has created standstill conditions in places. Motorists reported delays of over an hour in spots where traffic has been dense since midday.
Similarly, the Mumbai–Bengaluru Highway and other long-distance corridors connecting Pune with wider regions are busier than usual, with travel times extended due to the steady flow of holiday traffic. These highway networks normally handle high volumes but are feeling the strain as people travel for celebrations and short breaks.
Tamhini Ghat, a popular scenic route west of Pune, is also reporting heavy congestion, with long lines of vehicles inching forward amid the festive travel wave. Many travellers choose this route for quick weekend getaways into the Ghats, contributing to the build-up.
Traffic police and highway patrol teams are on duty across key exits and junctions trying to ease flow and manage bottlenecks. Authorities are advising travellers to check live updates before departure, allow extra time for their journeys, and avoid peak hours where possible.
Travel Tips:
- Plan departure early in the day.
- Use navigation apps for real-time traffic.
- Keep essentials like water, snacks and a full tank of fuel.
- Follow lane discipline and traffic directions.
