New Delhi: A major accident on the Mumbai Pune Expressway led to an unprecedented traffic disruption lasting more than thirty one hours after a tanker carrying propylene gas overturned in the Khandala Ghat section near the Adoshi Tunnel. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening and quickly resulted in one of the longest traffic jams witnessed on the busy corridor, with vehicles stuck in queues stretching up to twenty to thirty kilometres.
Drone visuals from the area showed the three lane highway completely packed with cars, buses and heavy trucks moving at a crawl or remaining stationary for hours. Many commuters were forced to spend the night inside their vehicles without access to food, water or basic facilities. The disruption also affected public transport services, with state buses halted and supplies of milk, vegetables and other essentials delayed in nearby cities.
Soon after the tanker overturned, police closed traffic heading towards Mumbai and diverted vehicles to the opposite carriageway. However, the continuous leakage of gas from the damaged tanker prevented authorities from restoring normal movement. Even motorists travelling towards Pune faced severe congestion as safety teams worked cautiously to contain the situation.
After prolonged efforts by emergency personnel, the tanker was finally removed in the early hours of Thursday at around 1.30 am. Traffic began to ease gradually, though the impact of the closure continued to be felt for several more hours. The incident once again highlighted the vulnerability of the expressway to accidents involving hazardous cargo.
The Mumbai Pune Expressway, India’s first six lane access controlled concrete highway, connects Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Raigad with Pune over a distance of 94.5 kilometres. Despite being a high speed corridor, the route has limited provisions for handling large scale emergencies, a concern that resurfaced after this episode.
Among those affected was industrialist Dr Sudhir Mehta, who remained trapped in the jam for nearly eight hours before arranging a helicopter to reach Pune. He later urged authorities to create strategic emergency exits and helipads along the expressway to enable faster evacuation during crises. He pointed out that helipads require minimal space and investment and could become a practical solution for managing similar situations in the future.
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