By Admin 
There is a huge traffic jam in Khandala Ghat section on Mumbai-Pune Expressway due to overturning of a gas tanker. While going from Pune to Mumbai, the driver lost control of the vehicle at a turn near Adoshi Tunnel. Due to this, a tanker carrying flammable propylene gas overturned. A major accident was averted when the tanker overturned near the entrance of the tunnel, but due to gas leakage, an atmosphere of panic was created in the area. After this, only one lane traffic was started on Mumbai-Pune Expressway from midnight. There was heavy traffic jam on both the expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune highway on the route from Mumbai to Pune, which does not seem to be reducing till now.
Even after 24 hours people are worried
The traffic police has given instructions to sideline heavy vehicles from Kalamboli. It is expected that the situation may remain the same till Wednesday (February 4) evening. Even after almost 24 hours, passengers are facing traffic jams. The massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune highway continues for the second day. This jam, which started yesterday evening, has not ended completely yet, due to which thousands of passengers are stuck in trouble. This has also had a direct impact on the state transport service.
Government’s premium bus service stopped
Maharashtra government’s premium bus service ‘Shivneri’ running between Mumbai-Pune has been stopped for the time being. Considering the condition of the highway, it has been decided to temporarily postpone it. Due to this, passengers are facing huge difficulties.
Many citizens going from Mumbai to Pune and from Pune to Mumbai are stranded at bus stations for hours. At some places, passengers have to wait for more than three to four hours. Citizens traveling for work, education and medical needs are facing special inconvenience. Due to sudden stoppage of bus service, passengers are facing difficulty in finding alternative arrangements.
Photos and videos of this traffic jam have surfaced on a large scale. There are long queues of vehicles for about 25 to 30 kilometers. Pictures and videos taken through drones are also going viral.
After all, what is the whole matter?
A tanker going from Pune to Mumbai crashed and overturned near Adoshi Tunnel on Tuesday (February 3) at around 5:10 pm. This tanker contained a highly flammable gas called propylene. Gas leakage started after the accident. As a precautionary measure, the police closed the traffic going from Pune to Mumbai.
Since the propylene gas present in the tanker was extremely dangerous, it was risky to remove it immediately. Therefore, efforts are on to stop the gas leak, but till now complete success has not been achieved. The front part of the tanker has been separated from the container. The work of removing the container is expected to be completed by 6 to 7 pm.
Many buses of ST Mahamandal canceled
Even after 21 hours have passed since the gas tanker accident, the traffic is completely at a standstill. The incident has had a major impact on Maharashtra State Transport (ST) and many long distance buses have been cancelled.
According to ST Mahamandal, 17 buses going to Dadar, 16 buses going to Thane and 9 buses going to Borivali have been cancelled. Passengers are facing a lot of trouble due to cancellation of a total of 42 buses from Swargate depot of Pune. Passengers are being informed about the situation through continuous announcement.
Advice on alternative routes
Both the expressway and the old highway are closed due to the gas leakage incident near Adoshi Tunnel. Travelers have been advised to take the following alternative routes:
Tamhini Ghat Road
- Pune → Paud → Tamhini Ghat → Mangaon → Mumbai
(Suitable for South Mumbai)
Malshej Ghat Road
- Pune → Chakan → Narayangaon → Malshej Ghat → Kalyan/Thane
(suitable for suburbs)
An appeal has been made to avoid the Lonavala-Khandala route completely. Travel time may extend up to 3-5 hours, so it is advised to carry adequate fuel and water.
139 bus services of transport department canceled
Due to the situation created after the tanker accident, a total of 139 bus services of Maharashtra State Transport Department have been cancelled. These include 73 e-Shivneri and 66 other bus services. Apart from this, 163 buses of the transport department were stuck in traffic jam on the expressway. Safety of passengers is being given top priority and bus services will be restarted in a phased manner as soon as traffic becomes normal.