Weekend Rush Brings Mumbai-Pune Roads To A Standstill, Traffic Crawls Near Lonavala

Last Updated:December 14, 2025, 12:13 IST

Amid recurring traffic problems, the Mumbai–Pune Expressway is set to get major relief with the upcoming 13.3-km ‘Missing Link’ project.

Heavy Weekend Traffic Brings Mumbai–Pune Expressway to a Halt

Heavy traffic congestion brought parts of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai–Pune highway to a near halt on Saturday as thousands of vehicles headed towards hill stations and tourist spots for the weekend. The worst congestion was reported near Lonavala, especially on the Pune-bound side of the expressway.

Commuters travelling towards Pune faced severe delays between Khopoli and Khandala, particularly in the Bor Ghat section. Long queues of vehicles left many motorists stranded for hours. Several travellers took to social media from early morning to share updates and express frustration over the slow-moving traffic.

According to reports, the congestion began in the morning and continued through the day. Many commuters blamed the situation on a massive weekend rush, with families and tourists leaving Mumbai in large numbers.

Stretch takes over an hour to cross

As per a reports, a long line of vehicles was seen from the Amrutanjan Bridge up to the Khopoli exit. This stretch, which usually takes around 10 minutes to cross, took nearly one-and-a-half hours on Saturday.

The traffic jam also continued into the afternoon. One user posted online, “Jam at ghat section start Pune Mumbai expressway," highlighting the ongoing delays.

Later in the day, the official Mumbai–Pune Expressway X handle confirmed that around 30 minutes of congestion was reported near the Khandala Ghat Viewpoint on the Pune-bound lane due to a collision.

After paying lakhs in taxes for the car, taxes on petrol and specific toll tax of for this particular strech of Pune to Mumbai expressway. This is how Indian government pays back. Full of incompetent ppl.#mumbai @nitin_gadkari @RoadsOfMumbai How do I penalize the government? pic.twitter.com/0LPpOHZ5xn— Ineasta (@dothraki113) December 13, 2025

 ‘Missing Link’ project

Amid recurring traffic problems, the Mumbai–Pune Expressway is set to get major relief with the upcoming 13.3-km ‘Missing Link’ project. This eight-lane, access-controlled corridor will bypass the Lonavala–Khandala ghat section, reducing the total distance between Mumbai and Pune by nearly six kilometres.

With only a small stretch left to be connected, the deck is expected to be fully linked within the next four months. If work continues at the current pace, the corridor is likely to open in May 2026.

Once operational, the Missing Link is expected to cut travel time by 25 to 30 minutes, improve traffic flow, and offer a safer and smoother journey for both private and commercial vehicles.

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