Nashik: Traffic on the Mumbai-Agra highway was thrown into chaos for nearly five hours near Igatpuri on Friday morning after a truck traveling from Mumbai towards Nashik suffered a tyre burst and came to a standstill in the middle of the road near Munde village at around 4.30 am.
Breakdown amid ongoing roadworks
Officials at the Ghoti traffic aid post reported that the breakdown occurred amidst ongoing roadworks, which had already closed the Mumbai-bound carriageway and diverted traffic onto the adjacent Mumbai-Nashik lane. Consequently, the stretch was operating with two-way traffic. The stranded truck blocked the narrow passage, halting vehicles in both directions and causing a growing traffic pile-up.
Manual traffic management
Highway police initially managed the situation manually, allowing vehicles to move in alternating batches to prevent a complete gridlock. A crane was eventually arranged, and once it arrived, the truck was removed, allowing traffic movement to gradually return to normal.
While NHAI officials claimed the road was cleared in about three hours, the police stated that the disruption lasted longer due to drivers attempting to use the wrong side of the road, which worsened congestion.
Second such incident in two weeks
The police noted that this was the second such incident in two weeks and stressed the necessity for a permanently stationed crane in the area. They also highlighted that one lane remained closed due to ongoing railway overbridge work, which has seen little progress.
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