Mumbai-Pune Expressway re-opens after 32 hours, jam remains as drivers fell asleep
After a gas tanker carrying propylene overturned in Khandala Ghat, traffic stayed frozen for nearly 32 hours, with queues stretching 20–22 km and hundreds of commuters stranded overnight on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Several drivers stranded for almost 2 days on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway were found asleep inside their vehicles as traffic finally began moving again after a nearly 32-hour standstill caused by an overturned gas tanker in the Khandala Ghat section.
With vehicles stuck across a 20–22 km stretch, many drivers had parked and dozed off overnight, unaware that the road was reopened in the early hours. Traffic police teams are now moving along the queues, knocking on windows and waking drivers to push traffic forward and restore flow.
Authorities cleared the tanker using cranes and reopened the Pune-to-Mumbai carriageway at around 1.40 am on Thursday. Both lanes towards Mumbai and Pune have since been opened, though officials said normal movement will take time because of long backlogs, especially near Lonavala, where queues still stretch 5 to 10 km.
"Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway resumed at 1.46 am after the damaged gas tanker was shifted from the accident site," an official from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said.
Within Pune limits, from Khandala Pass to Vadgaon Maval, several vehicles remained stranded on the expressway and old routes through the night. While traffic in the Bor Ghat section has largely eased, police are focusing on waking sleeping drivers and dispersing congestion pockets.
Relief swept through commuters who had spent the night inside their vehicles without proper access to food, water or toilet facilities. Hundreds of passengers, including women and children, were caught in the jam for hours.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE CHAOS?
Traffic on the 94.5-km Mumbai-Pune Expressway was paralysed after a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned around 5 pm on Tuesday in the Khandala Ghat stretch of Raigad district. The tanker allegedly lost control on a slope and capsized, leading to a gas leak and forcing authorities to shut the Mumbai-bound lanes as a safety measure.
Drone visuals released by officials showed massive queues extending up to 20–22 km, highlighting the scale of disruption on India's first six-lane, access-controlled concrete expressway that links Mumbai, Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Pune.
Although the tanker has now been removed and traffic reopened, officials said full normalcy will return only after the backlog of stranded vehicles is completely cleared.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and highway police were rushed to the spot to secure the area, oversee the gas transfer, and ensure the tanker was removed without risk.
Several drivers stranded for almost 2 days on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway were found asleep inside their vehicles as traffic finally began moving again after a nearly 32-hour standstill caused by an overturned gas tanker in the Khandala Ghat section.
With vehicles stuck across a 20–22 km stretch, many drivers had parked and dozed off overnight, unaware that the road was reopened in the early hours. Traffic police teams are now moving along the queues, knocking on windows and waking drivers to push traffic forward and restore flow.
Authorities cleared the tanker using cranes and reopened the Pune-to-Mumbai carriageway at around 1.40 am on Thursday. Both lanes towards Mumbai and Pune have since been opened, though officials said normal movement will take time because of long backlogs, especially near Lonavala, where queues still stretch 5 to 10 km.
"Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway resumed at 1.46 am after the damaged gas tanker was shifted from the accident site," an official from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said.
Within Pune limits, from Khandala Pass to Vadgaon Maval, several vehicles remained stranded on the expressway and old routes through the night. While traffic in the Bor Ghat section has largely eased, police are focusing on waking sleeping drivers and dispersing congestion pockets.
Relief swept through commuters who had spent the night inside their vehicles without proper access to food, water or toilet facilities. Hundreds of passengers, including women and children, were caught in the jam for hours.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE CHAOS?
Traffic on the 94.5-km Mumbai-Pune Expressway was paralysed after a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned around 5 pm on Tuesday in the Khandala Ghat stretch of Raigad district. The tanker allegedly lost control on a slope and capsized, leading to a gas leak and forcing authorities to shut the Mumbai-bound lanes as a safety measure.
Drone visuals released by officials showed massive queues extending up to 20–22 km, highlighting the scale of disruption on India's first six-lane, access-controlled concrete expressway that links Mumbai, Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Pune.
Although the tanker has now been removed and traffic reopened, officials said full normalcy will return only after the backlog of stranded vehicles is completely cleared.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and highway police were rushed to the spot to secure the area, oversee the gas transfer, and ensure the tanker was removed without risk.