Pune-Mumbai Expressway closed for three hours Friday
- Authorities closed the Pune-Mumbai Expressway for a scheduled three-hour traffic block on Friday. - Traffic towards Mumbai was completely stopped, causing significant delays and congestion for commuters. - MSRDC said the block was planned; motorists were warned to expect disruptions and detours. (hindustantimes.com)
Traffic toward Mumbai on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway was halted for three hours on Friday, snarling one of western India’s busiest road links. (hindustantimes.com) The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, or MSRDC, scheduled the block for April 24, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the Mumbai-bound carriageway. The work was tied to bridge maintenance near km 58/500 on the Dongargaon-Kusgaon stretch. (financialexpress.com) MSRDC said vehicles from Pune were diverted off the expressway at Kiwale and sent via Dehu Road, Talegaon and National Highway 48 before rejoining near Kusgaon toll plaza. Hindustan Times reported commuters were warned to expect delays and congestion during the shutdown. (punekarnews.in) The closure was not an emergency stoppage. MSRDC had announced the same three-hour traffic block for two straight days — April 23 and April 24 — to remove shuttering and carry out painting work on the bridge. (indiatoday.in) That matters because the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, also called the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway, is the main high-speed corridor between Pune and Mumbai, and even planned diversions can back up traffic around Lonavala and the old highway. MSRDC describes the route as its flagship expressway project. (msrdc.in) The disruption followed heavy congestion on the corridor earlier this week. Lokmat Times reported a traffic jam of about 5 kilometers near Lonavala on April 22, before the scheduled blocks began. (lokmattimes.com) Times of India and other local outlets said the April 23-24 blocks were coordinated with traffic police, with diversions announced in advance rather than imposed after an accident or landslide. That gave motorists notice, but not a way around the lost three hours if they were already on the road at midday. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) By Friday afternoon, the immediate question for drivers was simple: wait out the noon-to-3 p.m. block or leave the expressway early and take the slower National Highway 48 detour toward Mumbai. (financialexpress.com)
