Long Weekend Rush Triggers Heavy Traffic Jam on Pune-Mumbai Expressway Near Lonavala
Lonavala, 1st May 2025: Holiday traffic brought movement to a crawl on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway on Thursday, with vehicles stuck for hours in a five-kilometre-long jam in the Bor Ghat stretch, Pune-bound, due to the Maharashtra Day rush.
According to the Expressway control room, while the Mumbai-bound carriageway witnessed heavier-than-usual flow, traffic remained relatively smooth in that direction. However, the Pune-bound lane was heavily congested for several hours, especially in the ghat section near Amrutanjan Bridge.
“Traffic heading toward Pune was particularly slow this morning, but our teams managed to clear much of the congestion by early afternoon,” said an official from the highway control team.
Passengers described the ordeal as frustrating. “Our bus took more than an hour just to cross the Amrutanjan Bridge. The traffic was barely moving,” said Rakesh Patil, who was on his way to Pune for a family wedding.
The Bor Ghat section is known for frequent bottlenecks, especially when heavy vehicles struggle to climb the steep gradient. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has initiated work on a long-pending ‘missing link’ project aimed at bypassing the most problematic stretches of the ghat. The new road will eventually connect to the Sinhgad Institute area near Lonavala, potentially easing future traffic woes.
Despite the efforts of traffic authorities, many commuters expressed frustration. “It’s the same story every holiday — no matter how early we leave, we get stuck for hours,” said another traveller.
The Pune-Mumbai Expressway remains a critical corridor for those heading to Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and popular tourist destinations like Mahabaleshwar and Lonavala. On public holidays, traffic often spikes dramatically, overwhelming the capacity of the highway.
Authorities have once again appealed to motorists to remain patient and avoid peak travel hours when possible, especially during long weekends and state holidays.
