Traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway Resumes After 33 Hours; Overturned Gas Tanker Cleared

Mumbai: After a nearly 33 hours of severe disruption, traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was finally restored early Thursday following one of the longest disruptions in recent memory.

The shutdown was triggered when a propane gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in the Khandala Ghat section on Tuesday evening, setting off a continuous gas leak and blocking the arterial route linking the financial capital with Pune.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) confirmed that the damaged tanker, carrying highly flammable propylene gas, was safely emptied and removed with the help of heavy-duty cranes late Wednesday night, enabling officials to reopen the expressway at around 1.46 am.

The closure effectively brought traffic to a standstill on the 94.5-km access-controlled route, turning it into a 20-km long parking lot of stranded vehicles, with commuters including women and children, forced to wait in unbearable conditions without food, water or toilet facilities. 

Emergency responders from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), BPCL and highway police worked throughout the night to transfer the propylene and secure the site before the vehicle could be shifted.

The expressway shutdown also had a cascading impact on public transport, as 139 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus services were cancelled, and supply chains, including essential freight-faced delays.

Commuters expressed frustration over the prolonged disruption, with many taking to social media to describe their ordeal. Some also questioned why toll charges continued during the closure, fuelling public outrage over highway management.

In the wake of the crisis, experts and authorities have highlighted gaps in disaster preparedness for hazardous materials incidents on busy corridors. Propylene’s highly combustible nature requires specialised handling, and disaster management professionals have urged better training, dedicated HazMat response teams and stronger inter-agency coordination to prevent similar standstills in the future.

While traffic has resumed, officials have cautioned that full normalcy will take time as vehicles gradually clear the backlog and congestion that lingered into the morning on Thursday.

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