The Pune-Mumbai Expressway experienced severe traffic congestion on Saturday during the Republic Day long weekend, as thousands of vehicles headed toward Lonavla, causing major delays. The worst-hit area was the ghat section near Amrutanjan Bridge, where traffic crawled at a snail’s pace for several hours.Videos showing kilometer-long vehicle queues quickly went viral on social media, highlighting the scale of the jam on one of Maharashtra’s busiest highways. Many commuters shared their frustrations online, calling for improved traffic management during long weekends and public holidays.
They also urged authorities to issue advance travel advisories and deploy additional traffic control measures.The extended weekend, including the Republic Day holiday on Monday, triggered a sharp spike in traffic volumes. Thousands took advantage of the break to visit hill stations like Lonavla, leading to slow-moving traffic and long queues across multiple stretches of the expressway.According to highway police, the surge was especially challenging on the steep ghat section, where vehicle speeds dropped drastically, creating a significant bottleneck on the Mumbai-to-Pune side.
Vijay Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police, Highway Traffic Division, explained,
“Due to the steep slope in the ghat section, vehicle speeds reduce significantly, causing long queues on the Mumbai side. To ease congestion, we sometimes halt traffic from Pune to Mumbai briefly, opening all six lanes for vehicles coming from Mumbai towards Pune or Lonavla.”Deshmukh added that traffic volume during long weekends often triples.
“On typical days, about 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles pass through this stretch, but during long weekends, numbers soar to nearly 80,000 to 90,000, making management extremely challenging.”He also noted that while congestion was intense on the expressway and around Lonavla, Pune city itself did not see a major increase in traffic, as most tourist inflow concentrates around hill stations.To prevent further delays, highway police have implemented emergency response measures.
Deshmukh said, “If vehicles break down in critical areas like the ghat section, our teams respond promptly to clear the obstruction and minimize traffic buildup.”Authorities have urged travelers to plan ahead during long weekends and adhere to traffic advisories to avoid peak congestion periods on the expressway.
