Pune: Pune-Mumbai Expressway saw massive traffic jam on Saturday over the Republic Day weekend, as thousands of vehicles headed toward Lonavla, resulting in severe congestion. The worst-affected stretch was the ghat section near the Amrutanjan Bridge, where vehicles moved at a snail’s pace for several hours.
Several videos showing kilometres-long queues of vehicles went viral on social media highlighting the scale of congestion on one of the state’s busiest highways. Some commuters even took to social media to share their situation, calling for better traffic management during long weekends and public holidays. Many also appealed to the authorities to provide advance travel advisories and deploy additional traffic management measures.
The weekend, coupled with the Republic Day holiday on Monday, led to a surge in vehicles. Thousands of commuters seemed to have taken advantage of the extended break, resulting in slow-moving traffic and long queues at several points on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. According to the highway police, the situation worsened due to a sharp rise in tourist movement towards hill stations such as Lonavla and adjoining areas. The ghat section, known for its steep gradient, became a major bottleneck as vehicle speeds reduced significantly, resulting in long queues, especially on the Mumbai-to-Pune side.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/punemumbai-expressway-chokes-as-long-weekend-triggers-massive-tourist-rush-101769280820259.html