Traffic Chaos on Pune-Satara Highway: Voters Stuck in 15-Km Gridlock Amid Administration’s Apathy
Pune:
A massive traffic jam spanning 15 kilometres paralysed the Pune-Satara Highway today, causing severe inconvenience to citizens travelling from Pune and Mumbai to their native villages for voting. The gridlock, attributed to the delayed widening work on the highway, left many commuters stranded for hours.
Shockingly, the situation on the highway unfolded with no visible action from the authorities. Not a single traffic police officer was seen on the congested route, as most of the police force was reportedly occupied with election duties. The lack of on-ground coordination worsened the bottlenecks, leaving motorists to fend for themselves. Citizens expressed their anger, calling the administration’s neglect inexcusable.
The traffic chaos extended from Navale Bridge in Pune to Varve Taluka Bhor, transforming the road towards Satara into a complete gridlock. Major choke points included Navale Bridge, Dari Pul, Gogalwadi Phata, Kondhanpur Phata, Khed Shivapur Toll Plaza, Shivare, and Varve. Vehicles attempting to reach destinations such as Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Mahabaleshwar faced endless delays, with many commuters questioning whether they would even make it to their polling stations in time to vote.
Compounding the misery, ongoing construction at the Khed Shivapur and Shivare flyover sites forced vehicles to take diversions, further escalating congestion. Commuters expressed frustration with Nikhil Construction, the firm responsible for the flyover project at Shivare, for their unacceptable delay in completing the work.
Some stranded voters voiced their despair over the possibility of missing their chance to cast their vote, whereas others expressed outrage over the poor traffic management and appealed for immediate corrective action by authorities.
