Monsoon Rush Chokes Mumbai-Pune Expressway; Commuters Stuck for Hours
Lonavala, 25th May 2025: Thousands of travellers heading toward Pune faced massive delays on Sunday as the Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a grinding halt due to an overwhelming volume of vehicles. The traffic snarl extended for several kilometres, frustrating motorists and exposing the limits of the state’s infrastructure during peak travel days.
The congestion was largely attributed to weekend travel coinciding with monsoon tourism, as visitors flocked to scenic destinations around Lonavala and the Western Ghats.
Traffic moved at a snail’s pace on both the Pune-bound and Mumbai-bound corridors, especially near Lonavala, a popular hill station that sees a surge in footfall during the rains. Long queues were also reported at toll plazas, causing tempers to flare among commuters.
“We’ve been stuck here for over two hours with barely any movement. This happens every year, and yet nothing seems to change,” said Rajeev Sharma, a commuter who was heading back to Pune after a weekend trip to Mumbai. “We pay tolls, follow rules, but the system fails us every time.”
Social media platforms were flooded with angry posts and videos. One user vented, “Endless traffic, endless toll queues, and zero accountability. What exactly are we paying for as citizens?”
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is a crucial lifeline connecting not just Mumbai and Pune, but also the cities of Satara, Sangli, and Kolhapur. It also serves as the gateway to tourist destinations like Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. With long weekends and holidays drawing massive crowds, traffic jams have become a recurring issue, especially during the monsoon.
Adding to the concern, a tragic accident occurred on Saturday near Khopoli, where a car was crushed between a bus and a trailer. The collision claimed the lives of a 17-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman. Police said that high traffic density and reckless lane switching contributed to the crash.
While authorities have implemented the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) to curb accidents, challenges persist. According to data shared by the Maharashtra Highway Police, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway witnessed 10 fatal accidents resulting in 11 deaths between January and April 2025. In comparison, the Samruddhi Mahamarg (Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway) recorded 47 serious crashes with 55 fatalities during the same period.
Officials say that while ITMS has improved enforcement on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, congestion remains a major issue during high-traffic weekends. “The system has helped in reducing speed violations and managing traffic during normal days, but on holidays, the surge is difficult to control without additional measures,” said a senior traffic official.
As monsoon season picks up pace, authorities are expected to increase patrolling and consider alternate solutions such as staggered entry or travel advisories. However, for the commuters who endured hours in gridlock this weekend, the wait for long-term solutions continues.
