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30-Hour Jam On Mumbai–Pune Expressway: Why Do Accidents & Traffic Chaos Keep Repeating On Maharashtra’s Most Crucial Road?

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7 months ago

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Pune: There is no debate that Mumbai and Pune are indeed the two biggest cities in Maharashtra, and it leaves little room for doubt that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which connects these two cities, is one of the most crucial roads in the state. However, once again, the debate over the condition of this supposed ‘state-of-the-art’ infrastructure has gained momentum. From Tuesday at 5 pm to Wednesday night at around 10 pm, the expressway was stuck in an unprecedented 30-hour traffic jam.

A tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi Tunnel (km 41), within the Raigad district limits on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway, at around 5:00 pm on Tuesday. Authorities took nearly 30 hours to remove the tanker, which was finally cleared from the area near the tunnel at around 10:00 pm on Wednesday.

When the tanker overturned, a leak of propylene gas began. To avoid any potential major catastrophe, the Mumbai-bound traffic was completely shut down, while Pune-bound traffic from Mumbai was allowed to continue with extreme caution. It is reported that the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the vehicle. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and chemical experts were deployed to handle the situation.

The accident caused a 60-km queue from the Adoshi Tunnel back to Kiwale (the start of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway from the Pune side). Using the internal links, the vehicles were released on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, which resulted in traffic congestion between Kamshet and Lonavala. Passengers heading to Mumbai Airport, critical patients with hospital appointments, and regular commuters remain stuck.

Commuters were left stranded without food or water, with many taking over eight hours to complete a journey that normally takes three-and-a-half to four hours. The expressway was cleared late Wednesday night, only for a cement truck to meet with another accident near the Lonavala stretch in the wee hours of Thursday. It triggered yet another traffic jam. Though the mishap was minor, it was enough to disrupt traffic once again. These back-to-back incidents have reignited debate over the Mumbai–Pune Expressway. Questions are being raised about why accidents and traffic congestion continue to plague the corridor.

– 15th August 2023: Five-vehicle collision near Khalapur Toll Plaza; three members of a family killed.

– 23rd April 2023: A private bus fell into a gorge at Borghat; 13 dead, over 25 injured.

– 25th March 2021: A tanker-car collision near Lonavala triggered a gas leak and resulted in two deaths.

– 16th June 2020: A chemical tanker overturned near Amrutanjan Bridge. Four people were burnt alive.

– 18th March 2019: Three cars collided while overtaking; five fatalities.

Currently, the stretch between Khalapur Toll Plaza and Lonavala is winding and steep. This area frequently sees major accidents, landslides, and traffic jams.

Madhusudhan Divekar, a frequent traveller of the expressway, said, “Every morning, the stretch from Khopoli to Lonavala has a traffic jam. The train journey usually takes four hours from Pune to Mumbai. However, with road transport, it should be less, but because of frequent traffic, the time always increases. No one is even talking about the traffic jam one experiences when they enter Mumbai or Pune cities.”

Divekar, along with many other commuters, thinks that this problem will be solved in the future as the ‘Missing Link’ project is underway. This 13 km stretch is expected to open in the coming months. It features a 10.8 km tunnel and a bridge approximately 180 feet high. By bypassing the difficult Ghat section, this new route will reduce travel time between Pune and Mumbai by 20–25 minutes and shorten the distance by 6 km.

The 13.3 km “Missing Link” project on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway is a major upgrade that bypasses the winding Khandala–Lonavala ghat section with tunnels, viaducts and a high cable-stayed bridge. This project aims to improve safety and cut travel time by around 30 minutes while shortening the distance by about 6 km. The Rs 6,600+ crore project is in its final stages and is expected to open to traffic in May 2026 after repeated delays.

– Overspeeding: High speeds often result in sudden loss of vehicle control. The speed limit on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway is 100 kmph for cars and 80 kmph for heavy vehicles. However, to control the speed, from time to time, speed cameras are in place, and people know when they have to follow the speed limit. During other times, the speed limit is simply not followed.

– Highway Hypnosis: Long, straight stretches cause drivers to enter a trance-like state. Psychologists believe it reduces reaction time despite being awake. Expressway stretches are filled with similar-looking scenes, especially from Kiwale to Lonavala.

– Concrete Surface & Tyre Bursts: The majority of the city roads are made of asphalt in Pune and Mumbai. But an expressway is made of concrete. Concrete retains more heat than asphalt. At high speeds, heat and friction cause air inside tyres to expand. This many times leads to sudden bursts, especially in old or under-inflated tyres. Also, breaking judgement changes with the change in surface.

– Lane Discipline Violations: Heavy vehicles frequently move out of the left lane to overtake. Vehicles that move slowly should stick to the left lane to avoid people overtaking them from the right. But heavy and slow-moving vehicle drivers don’t follow this rule.  This forces fast-moving vehicles to brake abruptly or change lanes, which increases collision risk.

– Faulty Tail Lamps: Broken or dust-covered tail lamps on trucks make it difficult to judge distance at night. In some ghat spaces, the visibility on the expressway is low. This results in rear-end crashes many times, as light motor vehicles hit heavy vehicles from behind.

– Khandala Ghat Descent: Continuous braking on steep slopes overheats brake liners, particularly for heavy vehicles. Brake failure in heavy vehicles often leads to loss of control and accidents. A similar trend is also seen on the Navale Bridge on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass section of the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway.

– Nitrogen-filled tyres to reduce overheating and burst risk

– Mandatory rest breaks for drivers, especially during early morning hours

– Strict action on lane violations, including licence suspension

– Improved reflectors and signage for fog and monsoon conditions

– Mandatory tyre inspection points at toll plazas and food malls

– Enhanced camera surveillance to penalise speeding and lane cutting

– Additional emergency escape ramps in ghat sections

1) Holiday & Weekend Surges: Large spikes in vehicle numbers during long weekends or festive breaks overwhelm the capacity of the highway. It causes slow-moving traffic and long queues, especially in ghat sections.

2) Ghat Bottlenecks: Steep gradients and narrow stretches in the Khandala–Bor Ghat significantly slow traffic, creating persistent chokepoints. In this section, the four-lane old highway and the six-lane expressway merge for traffic from Maval tehsil, effectively squeezing ten lanes into six and resulting in severe congestion.

3) Vehicle Breakdowns: Cars or heavy vehicles breaking down on key stretches block lanes and worsen gridlocks.

4) Maintenance Closures: Unplanned or late-night roadwork narrowing lanes can create bottlenecks that take hours to clear.

5) Overall High Number of Vehicles: The Mumbai–Pune Expressway serves as a vital link between Maharashtra’s two most important cities and carries a massive volume of daily commuters. Due to this consistently high traffic load, even a single disruption quickly results in hours-long congestion across the corridor.

6) The “No-Exit” Trap: The Bor Ghat section of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway creates a dangerous “no-exit” zone spanning nearly 20 km between Khalapur and Kusgaon. The stretch is carved into the mountains and lined with tunnels, and the stretch has no service roads, U-turns, or local exits.

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Maharashtra

Political rift deepens over Ajit Pawar plane crash probe as Rohit Pawar targets NCP MLAs over ‘self respect’

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4 hours ago

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September 4, 2026

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Mumbai, Sep 4: The political crossfire surrounding the probe into former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane crash intensified on Friday, as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar launched a sharp attack on the ruling MahaYuti government and targeted the 40 MLAs belonging to the rival NCP faction.

Questioning the political leverage and intent of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction within the MahaYuti coalition government, Rohit Pawar criticised their inability to secure a formal investigation despite writing to their own administration.

“40 MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the crash, and they even had to send a reminder letter for it. It is unfortunate that even after sending a reminder to your own government, it gets thrown into the dustbin,” the NCP-SP MLA said while addressing the media.

“If these people had any self-respect, they would have walked out of power immediately. Not everyone possesses self-respect; you have to struggle to maintain it, and that is precisely what we are doing.”

The fresh barrage comes a day after current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Sunetra Pawar responded to concerns raised by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule over the non-registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR).

Sunetra Pawar had cautioned against politicising the tragedy, saying that the Pawar family and the NCP-SP maintained “full faith in the investigating agencies”.

Sule had earlier mounted a scathing attack on the state government over official apathy, contrasting the swift law-and-order actions taken against political leaders like Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Chief Amit Thackeray, with the lack of progress in registering an FIR for her late brother’s fatal crash.

Reiterating his family and personal ties to the late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Rohit Pawar emphasised that his demand for a rigorous inquiry was rooted in both family duty and public interest.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “I am a member of the Pawar family. My surname is Pawar, and the person who passed away was my uncle. As a nephew, it is my effort to see that justice is served to him.

“When a major leader of the state dies under such circumstances, millions of people across Maharashtra, including myself, want a proper investigation. Unfortunately, those in the (MahaYuti) government who called (Ajit Pawar) ‘Dada’ their friend have still failed to deliver justice.”

He also accused the state administration of ignoring their repeated efforts to register a case locally.

“We visited three different places in the state to file an FIR regarding the accident, but no attention was paid to us,” he alleged, warning that “if an FIR in this matter ends up being registered in Karnataka instead, the state (Maharashtra) government should feel ashamed”.

While Rohit Pawar said that he postponed a scheduled press conference where he intended to present new evidence due to additional incoming details, his remarks underscore a growing verbal feud between the rival factions of the Pawar family and the MahaYuti coalition government.

With opposition leaders pledging to take the fight forward independently, the political manoeuvering over the investigation shows no signs of abating.

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Business

Pune poised to become India GCC capital, says Maha CM

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4 hours ago

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September 4, 2026

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Pune, Sep 4: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Pune is rapidly emerging as the country’s leading hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with more than 130 centres currently operational and the number expected to cross 800 in the coming years.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to positioning Pune as the preferred destination for GCC investments in India. The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of Magnum Ice Cream Company’s Global Business Solutions Centre.

Highlighting that Maharashtra has emerged as the preferred investment hub for Global Capability Centers in India, CM Fadnavis noted that the enthusiastic response from multinational corporations establishing global business centers in Pune is a testament to the city’s business-friendly environment and skilled talent pool.

The Chief Minister explained that Magnum’s Pune centre will generate more than 1,000 direct job opportunities alongside boosting indirect employment. To optimise the company’s global business operations, the facility will integrate artificial intelligence, automated technologies, logistics, and other advanced solutions to streamline manufacturing, distribution, and customer experience operations.

“When the government and the industry collaborate, it creates a robust ecosystem that accelerates investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The state government remains committed to providing all necessary support and a conducive climate for businesses investing in Maharashtra,” he stated.

He further added that this Global Business Solutions Centre in Pune, operating alongside the regional headquarters in Mumbai, will chart a new direction for Magnum’s expansion in Maharashtra. Active measures are being taken to strengthen physical infrastructure across Pune’s industrial sectors — with a special focus on resolving IT infrastructure challenges in Hinjawadi — to make the region an even more attractive destination for GCCs.

Industry department principal secretary Dr P. Anbalagan noted that Global Capability Centres are not merely office spaces, but crucial engines driving the nation’s economic momentum. India has established itself as a global leader in the GCC space, with Maharashtra and Pune playing a pivotal role in this expansion. In Pune alone, demand for commercial office space by GCCs reached approximately 6 million square feet over the past 15 months, while 130 new or expanded GCC units were set up across the state over the last 18 months.

He added that the state government has set a target of hosting 400 GCC companies and over 700 units in the coming period. Currently, Pune hosts operations from companies representing over 30 countries across 20 sectors, employing nearly 10,000 professionals.

Investment and Policy Advisor to the CM, Kaustubh Dhavse, remarked that the relationship between Magnum Ice Cream Company and the Government of Maharashtra is built on trust, reliability, and mutual respect. He added that the Indian-origin executive leadership steering the company globally brings inspiring experience.

In his opening address, Abhijit Bhattacharya, CFO of Magnum Ice Cream Company, credited the state government’s rapid decision-making process for making the global business centre a reality in a short time frame.

He cited Maharashtra’s robust industrial ecosystem, superior connectivity, and proactive administration as key factors in selecting Pune.

Bhattacharya commended CM Fadnavis’s vision to make Maharashtra a premier hub for global business centres and expressed the company’s intent to collaborate with the state on sustainable dairy systems, while also bringing the global ice cream brand ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ to India.

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Maharashtra

Five arrested for tampering with taxi and auto-rickshaw fare meters in Mumbai, cheating passengers financially and installing fake technical devices in the meters.

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5 hours ago

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September 4, 2026

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Mumbai: On September 2, around 8 am, Police Constable Nilesh Salunke received information from his informant that many rickshaw and taxi drivers in Dahisar area were using a device in their meters to artificially increase the fares and were robbing passengers. The information was passed on to the seniors who confirmed the matter and ordered further action.

To verify this, on September 1, a fake passenger was sent for a journey in taxi number MH 01 CJ 6487. The taxi driver concerned had covered his fare meter. And due to his suspicious activities, the taxi driver was detained along with the taxi and after writing to the Regional Transport Department, Borivali Kandivali, Dahisar East Mumbai, the said taxi was examined by them and it was found that the electronic running circuit device in the taxi fare meter was illegally tampered with by connecting wires and through this, the common passengers were cheated by increasing the artificial fare. In this regard, when further investigation was done, it was installed in taxi number MH 01 CJ 6487 by Islam Nama Amin Ramzan Pathan, age 31 years, profession – Rickshaw Driver / Electrician. When he was taken into confidence and questioned, it was found that the electronic running circuit device in the fare meter in 04 more taxis / rickshaws was illegally tampered with by connecting wires. In this regard, a case has been registered at Dahisar Police Station under Section 1293/26, Section 318 (4) of the Indian Penal Code – 2023 and Sections 33, 35 and Section 145 (a) of the MV Act. Here near Gokul Anand Hotel, Ashok One, Dahisar East, Mumbai Taxi/Rickshaw seized for tampering with fare meter Maruti Suzuki Company black yellow taxi number MH01CJ6487 Bajaj Company black yellow rickshaw number MH02DU0777 Bajaj Company black yellow rickshaw number MH03BY4268 Maruti Suzuki Company black yellow taxi number MH02BQ7392, Maruti Artica Cool Cab MH-01-EM-604 Seized goods
(Used for tampering with fare meter) Electronic running circuit along with it of accused
1) Zaheb Altaf Deshmukh Age – 32 years
2) Amin Ramzan Pathan Age – 31 years
3) Riaz Abdul Ghani Sheikh Age – 45 years
4) Nazir Ibrahim Patel Age – 57 years
5) Anand Kumar Nanak Prasad Rai Age – 60 years Action taken against Along with this, the accused have been arrested and further investigation is underway.

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