Despite Anti-Encroachment Drives, Traffic Gridlock Persists on Pune-Nashik Highway
Pimpri, 25th June 2025: Despite repeated anti-encroachment drives, traffic congestion continues to plague the Pune-Nashik Highway, leaving daily commuters frustrated. Reckless driving, poor traffic management, and administrative apathy have worsened the situation. Long queues of vehicles are a regular sight during morning and evening peak hours, especially around Chakan, Moshi, and Bhosari.
The Pune-Nashik Highway (NH-60) is a key route connecting two major cities—Pune and Nashik. Additionally, it serves as a major link for vehicles heading from North Maharashtra toward Mumbai and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The presence of industrial zones like Talegaon, Chakan, and Ranjangaon MIDC has led to a high volume of heavy vehicles on this route, further contributing to the bottlenecks. Agricultural produce vehicles also frequently ply between these districts and the major markets in Pune and Mumbai.
Key Causes of Traffic Jams:
PMPML and private company buses stop in the middle of the road to pick up/drop off passengers.
17 broken median openings within a 20 km stretch worsen traffic flow.
Frequent wrong-way driving and encroached service lanes pose serious hazards.
Rickshaw stands are located right inside key junctions like Talegaon and Bharatmata Chowk.
Broken or incomplete road dividers at several points.
Traffic police remain busy taking action but lack strategic regulation.
Simultaneous movement of staff buses and private travel buses further clogs roads.
Traffic Hotspots:
Moshi Gaothan, Chimbli Phata
Moi Phata, Bergevasti Phata
Kuruli Phata, Alandi Phata, MIDC Phata, Mutkewadi Phata
Talegaon Chowk, Ambethan Chowk, Birdwadi Phata
Suggested Remedies:
Remove auto rickshaw stands from main junctions.
Create designated PMPML bus stops inside the service road.
Strict action against private buses stopping illegally.
Close unnecessary or dangerous road medians.
Build underpasses and repair side shoulders.
Construct a flyover at Talegaon Chowk.
Voices from the Road:
Daily commuters between Chakan and Dapodi report stark differences in travel time—while one side of the journey takes just 20–25 minutes, the return trip often stretches to over an hour due to relentless traffic snarls.
Students traveling from Moshi to Rajgurunagar express frustration over the severe congestion, especially between Moshi and Ambethan Chowk, where delays sometimes exceed two hours.
Locals blame undisciplined drivers, political inaction, and administrative apathy for the stalled expansion of the Pune-Nashik and Talegaon-Shikrapur highways. Despite the urgent need for improvement, concrete solutions remain absent.
