Weekend Traffic Chaos: Mumbai–Pune Expressway Grinds to a Halt

Pune/Mumbai, 13th February 2026: Traffic movement on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway slowed dramatically on Friday morning as a sharp rise in weekend travel resulted in severe congestion across multiple stretches of the highway.

Commuters reported being stuck in stationary traffic for more than 30 minutes, with long queues of vehicles forming early in the day. The surge included both private vehicles and commercial transport, intensifying pressure on the already busy corridor. Office-goers, holidaymakers, and logistics operators were among those affected by the prolonged delays.

The Mumbai-bound carriageway witnessed the heaviest impact, where vehicle movement was reduced to a crawl. Several motorists shared visuals of the traffic gridlock on social media, underscoring the scale of the disruption during peak hours.

Traffic police and highway authorities were deployed to streamline vehicle flow and ease bottlenecks. Despite these measures, congestion persisted into the afternoon, and normal traffic conditions had not fully resumed at the time of reporting.

Recurring traffic snarls have become increasingly common on the expressway, particularly during weekends and public holidays when intercity travel spikes. The growing demand for rapid connectivity between Mumbai and Pune has further strained the corridor’s capacity.

In a recent major disruption, traffic on the expressway was halted for nearly 32 hours after a gas tanker overturned, causing a hazardous leak and necessitating extensive emergency response and clearance operations. Thousands of travellers were impacted during that incident.

Given the expressway’s strategic importance in linking Maharashtra’s two largest cities and facilitating economic movement, repeated congestion has sparked debate over long-term infrastructure planning and traffic management. Opposition leaders have questioned the government’s handling of persistent bottlenecks and called for comprehensive, sustainable solutions.

Authorities have advised motorists to plan journeys carefully and avoid peak travel hours until conditions stabilise.