Pune: Christmas Getaway Turns into Long Wait as Mumbai–Pune Expressway Chokes with Holiday Traffic
Pune, 25th December 2025: What was meant to be a festive Christmas getaway turned into a test of patience for thousands of travellers on Thursday, as the Mumbai–Pune Expressway witnessed massive traffic congestion, particularly in the Lonavala–Khandala ghat sections, where vehicle queues stretched up to seven kilometres.
Traffic began piling up early in the morning as holidaymakers poured out of Mumbai and Pune ahead of the Christmas break and a long weekend. The ghat sections near Khandala and Lonavala emerged as the worst-hit zones, with vehicles crawling for hours and commuters reporting delays exceeding 60 to 90 minutes at several points.
Scenes of bumper-to-bumper traffic flooded social media, with stranded motorists sharing visuals from the expressway and cautioning others to postpone travel plans. Several users advised fellow travellers to avoid the route altogether unless absolutely unavoidable.
The prolonged congestion caused significant discomfort to families, senior citizens and travellers with young children, many of whom were stuck without access to food or rest facilities. Regular commuters pointed out that traffic density on the 94-km expressway has been steadily rising over the past two weeks due to the festive season. While the expressway typically handles around 60,000 vehicles a day, holiday traffic pushed volumes far beyond manageable limits.
Highway traffic police officials said congestion in the ghat sections is often triggered by a combination of sharp curves, steep slopes, minor vehicle breakdowns and roadside halts by tourists. Unauthorised parking along the carriageway to enjoy scenic views has become a recurring problem, frequently leading to sudden bottlenecks.
Although enforcement teams acted against illegally parked vehicles, officials admitted that unregulated movement of heavy vehicles continues to exacerbate traffic jams. The situation has once again brought attention to the need for long-term transport alternatives, including proposals for a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) to reduce dependence on private vehicles.
In an attempt to ease congestion, traffic police temporarily restricted the movement of heavy vehicles and implemented one-way traffic regulation at selected stretches. Despite these measures, traffic remained sluggish well into the afternoon.
Appealing to motorists, Vikrant Deshmukh, Highway Security Police Superintendent (Pune Division), urged travellers to plan journeys carefully during the festive period, consider alternative routes, and avoid non-essential travel on the expressway. He warned that similar congestion is likely to recur during the Christmas and New Year holiday rush.
