Bhor Ghat Stretch On Mumbai–Pune Expressway To Get Median Openings Every 2.5 km After 32-Hour Traffic Nightmare
· Free Press Journal
Pune: Following the massive traffic jam triggered by a gas tanker accident earlier this month on the busy Mumbai–Pune Expressway, authorities have now decided to introduce crucial infrastructure changes along the Bhor Ghat stretch to prevent such gridlocks in the future.
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After the February 3 incident brought traffic between Pune and Mumbai to a standstill for nearly 32 hours, the State Highway Police, along with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), have proposed constructing wider median openings at intervals of 2 to 2.5 km along the 14-km ghat section. The move aims to ensure quicker traffic diversion during emergencies, especially in cases involving hazardous materials.
During the recent mishap, the dangerous nature of the leaking gas tanker forced officials to halt traffic entirely instead of allowing vehicles to move partially on one carriageway. The absence of sufficient divider cuts made it extremely difficult to reroute traffic promptly, leading to long queues of stranded vehicles and major inconvenience for thousands of commuters travelling on the crucial expressway corridor.
VIDEOS: Massive Traffic Jam Hits Mumbai-Pune Expressway; Long Queues Of Vehicles Stretch For KilometresAuthorities said emergency response teams also had to rely on external chemical experts to manage the situation, resulting in delays in containment and clearance operations.
To tackle such scenarios more effectively in the future, officials have suggested appointing dedicated technical experts within MSRDC and IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd who can provide immediate on-site guidance during accidents involving hazardous cargo.
At present, the 14-km Bhor Ghat stretch has only four median divider cuts, of which just two are wide enough to allow two vehicles to pass simultaneously. The remaining openings are too narrow, creating bottlenecks during emergencies. Officials have recommended widening these existing cuts and marking them with distinct colours so cranes and recovery teams can quickly identify diversion points during accidents.
The proposed openings will remain barricaded under normal circumstances to prevent unauthorised usage, but can be opened swiftly when required to redirect traffic.
MSRDC has acknowledged receiving the Highway Police’s proposal and has formed a committee to assess the feasibility and design of additional and wider divider cuts along the accident-prone ghat section.