The traffic chaos affecting the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, a vital link between the two cities, has finally come to an end as of Thursday morning. After approximately 33 hours of intensive efforts, traffic has been fully restored on this route. This major traffic jam caused significant inconvenience for thousands of travelers.

According to officials, the issue began on Tuesday evening when a gas tanker overturned in the challenging and hilly terrain of Khandala Ghat. Due to the presence of flammable gas in the tanker, traffic was immediately halted in both directions for safety reasons. The geographical conditions of the ghat section and the risk of gas leakage contributed to the lengthy process of removing the tanker and safely emptying the gas. Traffic resumed late at night at 1:46 AM for vehicles heading towards Mumbai.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is India's first six-lane controlled-access toll expressway, stretching 94.5 kilometers and connecting Mumbai, Raigad, and Navi Mumbai to Pune. The tanker flipped around 5 PM on Tuesday, leading to severe traffic congestion, with thousands of vehicles trapped for hours on the busy expressway. The jam was so severe that it extended for nearly 20 kilometers. During this traffic crisis, passengers, including women and children, were deprived of food, water, and restroom facilities.

An official from MSRDC reported that late Wednesday night, propylene gas was safely transferred from the overturned tanker to other tankers, and the wrecked vehicle was removed with the help of cranes. He stated, 'Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was restored at 1:46 AM after the damaged gas tanker was cleared from the accident site.' Following the removal of the wreck, vehicle movement gradually returned to normal in the ghat section, although some congestion persisted as several heavy vehicles remained stuck.

A police officer mentioned that after the tanker was cleared, traffic on the expressway normalized within a few hours. However, around 7:30 AM on Thursday, traffic slowed temporarily near the Amrutanjan bridge due to breakdowns of some heavy vehicles in the ghat section. The route towards Mumbai was completely closed due to the tanker accident, while traffic towards Pune was redirected and controlled in phases. In response to the severe traffic jam and public outrage, MSRDC suspended toll collection on the expressway.

To manage this extensive disruption, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), highway police, and MSRDC were deployed at the scene to transfer gas from the overturned tanker and safely remove it.

Public transport was also affected by this prolonged disruption, with several buses from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) stranded on the expressway, leading to numerous regular services being canceled. The incident also disrupted the supply of essential goods like milk and vegetables, as many freight vehicles were stuck for hours.