Heavy Congestion Slows Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Queues Stretch 5 km
Pune, 26th March 2026: The Mumbai-Pune Expressway witnessed massive traffic congestion once again on Thursday, with long queues of vehicles stretching up to 4–5 km, particularly in the ghat section.
The congestion was reported on the occasion of Ram Navami, coupled with the weekend rush, as a large number of people from Mumbai and Pune travelled simultaneously.
The highway authorities said, due to Ram Navami and the consecutive weekend holidays (Saturday and Sunday), a large number of people from Mumbai and Pune have stepped out, leading to heavy traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Pune highway. Devotees heading towards the Ekvira Devi temple near Lonavala also added to the surge in traffic.
Officials said the sudden increase in vehicular movement led to traffic slowing down significantly, with some stretches witnessing near standstill conditions for a period. Highway police initiated measures to ease congestion, allowing vehicles to pass in phases and regulating traffic with intermittent blocks.
@nitin_gadkari @PMOIndia @lokmat @TOIMumbai @PuneriSpeaks @Mumbai2PuneEway Pune Mumbai Expressway is extremely jammed at Ghat Section. This is happening on daily basis. Please inaugurate Missing Link on urgent basis to give relief from such a situation. #Traffic #MissingLink pic.twitter.com/JG1nai5iZ5
— Rajendra (@RajendraPawarIT) March 25, 2026
Despite efforts, commuters were forced to wait for long durations due to the heavy buildup of vehicles. The situation was further aggravated by rising temperatures, causing inconvenience to travellers.
Videos of the traffic jam surfaced on social media, showing vehicles lined up bumper-to-bumper in the ghat section, with several commuters stepping out of their vehicles while waiting for movement to resume.
Many commuters expressed frustration over frequent congestion on the expressway, with some taking to social media to criticise traffic management and delays. Some even said that this has become a scenario for every weekend on the expressway.
Shri Nitin Gadkari ji @nitin_gadkari Shree Devendra ji @Dev_Fadnavis @CMOMaharashtra @MTPHereToHelp
The issue of heavy trucks occupying all lanes on the Mumbai Pune expressway is causing regular delays to other smaller traffic. Police are unable to control this nuisance. pic.twitter.com/Ux9HFIUdxp— ravneet singh (@RavneetSingh84) March 25, 2026
Officials attributed the congestion primarily to the holiday rush and increased tourist and religious travel, adding that efforts were ongoing to restore normal traffic flow.
