Overview
- Traffic on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, which snarled Thursday near Lonavala, backed up for about 4 to 5 km according to officials with delays of at least 30 minutes.
- The jam formed in the hilly Khandala stretch during the Ram Navami long weekend as a surge of tourist cars and trucks overwhelmed the narrow, curving ghat section.
- Highway police staffed key points and used emergency diversions at Borghat while letting vehicles pass in small groups to gradually clear the queue.
- Video from the Press Trust of India showed long lines of barely moving vehicles, and commuters on X complained of daily jams and poor lane discipline by heavy trucks.
- The disruption comes weeks after an overturned gas tanker near the Adoshi Tunnel in February shut the route for over 30 hours, renewing calls for stronger emergency plans and longer-term fixes.