Pune-Mumbai Expressway Traffic: The Pune-Mumbai Expressway has been witnessing severe traffic congestion since Friday due to the Republic Day and long weekend. The officials stated that the expressway witnessed a sudden surge in the vehicles as thousands of residents rushed to the tourist spots. They further stated that most of the commuters travelled towards the Lonavala region, leading to heavy traffic congestion. The vehicles moved at a very slow speed near the ghat section due to its steep gradient, leading to long queues. The authority stated that a sudden surge in vehicles led to the congestion, further advising the travellers to follow the guidelines and plan their travel accordingly to avoid inconveniences.
While providing details, Highway Traffic Division superintendent of police Vijay Deshmukh stated that vehicular movement towards Mumbai was halted temporarily at several sites to ease the congestion. He further stated that the number of vehicles doubled in the past two days, leading to the congestion. However, he stated that all the necessary steps were being taken, further assuring that the situation will be normalised soon.
@CMOMaharashtra
— Vivek Vijay Pandit (@vivekvpandit) January 24, 2026
Mumbai Pune is d busiest route. But one should not stop the down route totally! On same place for 2 hours now as the up traffic is moving from down route tunnel.
2 hours!! WTH@MTPHereToHelp @MumbaiPolice @AjitPawarSpeaks pic.twitter.com/GxXIP8Lzxn
“Due to the stiff slope in the ghat section, vehicle speeds reduce drastically, leading to long queues on the Mumbai side. In such situations, we stop traffic from Pune to Mumbai for a short duration and make all six lanes available for vehicles coming from Mumbai towards Pune or Lonavla,” Deshmukh stated.
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“On a regular day, around 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles pass through this stretch. However, during long weekends like this one, the number shoots up to nearly 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles, making traffic management extremely challenging,” he added.
The authority has suggested the residents plan their travel accordingly for the long weekend to avoid any inconveniences. It further assured that the 13-kilometer-long 'missing link' on the Pune-Mumbai expressway is set to be open for commercial use on May 1.