Heavy Traffic Hits Mumbai–Pune Expressway Amid Long Weekend Rush
Heavy traffic congestion persisted on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway on Thursday as a surge of holidaymakers set out for the long weekend and Christmas break. Commuters reported long delays from early morning, particularly along the Lonavala and Khandala ghat sections, where traffic movement slowed to a crawl.
The sharp rise in weekend travel led to major bottlenecks across several stretches of the expressway. Traffic police and highway authorities were deployed to regulate vehicle flow, but officials warned that congestion was likely to continue through the day.
Motorists experienced delays ranging from 60 to 90 minutes at multiple points, with the ghat sections emerging as the worst affected. Traffic began building up early as travellers departed from both Mumbai and Pune, overwhelming the 94-km expressway.
Visuals of bumper-to-bumper traffic flooded social media, with stranded commuters urging others to postpone travel unless absolutely necessary. Several users advised avoiding the route altogether due to extended waiting times.
The prolonged congestion caused significant inconvenience to families, senior citizens and travellers with young children, many of whom were left stuck for hours without access to food or rest facilities. Regular commuters noted that traffic volumes have steadily increased over the past two weeks due to the festive season. While the expressway typically handles around 60,000 vehicles daily, holiday travel pushed traffic well beyond manageable limits.
