The Mumbai–Pune Expressway gridlock exposed institutional unpreparedness for hazardous transport, revealing policy gaps, emergency failures, and the urgent need to prioritise safer rail alternatives.
Thousands of commuters and transport vehicles were stranded for over thirty hours on India’s first expressway between Pune and Mumbai, making national headlines. The gridlock followed a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene overturning near the ‘Adoshi’ tunnel on the steep, winding sections of the Khandala ghats. Though the jam stretched only 15 km, it disrupted traffic along more than 60 km. The incident also implied a breach of contract, as the tolled road suggests that uninterrupted passage should be ensured for paying users.
As it toppled, the tanker damaged its top-mounted valves, causing the highly flammable propylene to leak. This created an explosive hazard, with potential impact extending up to 500 metres from the crash site. Response teams were hampered by the absence of a replacement tanker to transfer the gas, which partly explains the exceptionally long duration required to manage the incident.
Several incidents of overturned trucks and tankers, including fuel tankers, have occurred—particularly along the ghat stretch—yet no preparations were made for a worst-case scenario.
The accident occurred around 4:45 pm on Tuesday, 3 February 2026. Traffic was restored only after 1 am on Thursday, 5 February 2026. Thousands of commuters of all ages and backgrounds endured a harrowing 32‑hour ordeal. The prolonged disruption was largely due to government agencies being ill-equipped to handle such a hazardous situation, compounded by the time needed to locate a private agency with the necessary expertise.
Opposition leaders from Maharashtra expressed deep grievance over the state government’s handling of the disaster, highlighting the absence of alternative arrangements and a formal emergency response plan. Such a lapse is striking, given that the expressway opened to traffic in March 2002 and has for years carried hundreds of tankers transporting hazardous materials. Several incidents of overturned trucks and tankers, including fuel tankers, have occurred—particularly along the ghat stretch—yet no preparations were made for a worst-case scenario.
They also noted that stranded commuters were left unattended, with no planned provision of food or water. Among them were children, women, senior citizens, patients, and pets, all subjected to extreme discomfort and distress. The stranded commuters demanded a refund of the toll; the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) stated that toll collection had been suspended soon after the incident. The police made ad hoc arrangements for food and water. However, media reports also highlighted the complete absence of any senior government official or elected representative on site to manage the situation.
While attention largely focused on the ordeal faced by commuters, the economic losses to businesses went largely unreported, though they were almost equally significant. Thousands of trucks carrying industrial goods, construction materials, agricultural produce, consumer items, and other commodities were stranded for tens of kilometres. The road closure delayed deliveries and disrupted factory schedules, potentially leaving supermarkets without food and vegetables, hospitals without medicines, and commuters unable to reach work. Perishable goods in transit would have spoiled, bus and taxi operators would have suffered losses, and fuel wastage from idling vehicles would have contributed to air pollution. Although no official estimates are available, given that the expressway accommodates around 100,000 vehicles daily, the economic loss is likely to amount to hundreds of crores. Such incidents on a premier expressway must, therefore, be prevented.
This incident highlights a significant policy deficit in the transport of highly hazardous materials, which may be inflammable or toxic in nature, particularly on roads designed for high-speed travel, such as expressways.
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has directed an enquiry into the incident. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has been tasked with submitting a detailed plan to manage such eventualities in the future. In addition, the authority has been instructed to expeditiously complete the ongoing and delayed missing link to avoid the steep gradients of the ghats. This stretch of construction is reportedly nearing completion, although it has missed its December 2025 deadline. Once operational, the missing link is expected to reduce congestion on the currently used carriageway, shorten travel time between Mumbai and Pune, and provide an alternate route in the event of mishaps or emergencies.
This incident highlights a significant policy deficit in the transport of highly hazardous materials, which may be inflammable or toxic in nature, particularly on roads designed for high-speed travel, such as expressways. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has been on record advocating a maximum speed of 140 km/h on such roads. On high-velocity corridors, a vehicle travelling at considerable speed may accidentally ram into a stationary tanker, causing havoc. While steep, winding stretches of expressways pose greater risks for the transport of hazardous materials, even less accident-prone sections can also witness mishaps. It has been reported that a bullet tanker carrying 18 tonnes of the same propylene met with an accident at the TVS junction in Kalamassery, Kochi, on 20 November 2024, after the driver allegedly lost control and struck the median while turning.
The discourse surrounding this disaster has centred on providing alternate routes along the expressway in the event of an accident. The focus, therefore, remains on traffic-management measures rather than on structural or policy-level alternatives. However, any accident involving a vehicle transporting hazardous material on a congested road with hundreds of other vehicles could result in significant casualties. The risk is compounded by steadily rising road congestion, particularly on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway. Moreover, the potential for terrorist activity involving the transport of hazardous materials has been widely acknowledged as a serious threat to public safety.
A safer mode of transport for such hazardous material is by rail. Rail transport is widely regarded as the safest and most efficient method for moving large quantities of hazardous substances, particularly over long distances. The tanker that overturned on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, for example, was travelling more than 1,500 km from Kerala to Gujarat.
Rail transport is widely regarded as the safest and most efficient method for moving large quantities of hazardous substances, particularly over long distances.
Transporting hazardous material by rail offers multiple advantages. First, rail tank wagons can carry substantially larger volumes under controlled conditions, significantly reducing the risks associated with road transport. Second, it lowers overall transport and fuel costs. Third, it operates on dedicated corridors rather than sharing space with the general public, thereby reducing exposure to road accidents. Fourth, rail supports sustainable transport objectives, as it generates lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per tonne-kilometre than road transport.
While many countries permit the road transport of smaller quantities of hazardous material, it is essential to assess factors such as road curvature and gradient, traffic volume, accident vulnerability, and prevailing weather conditions. Given that India’s roads are struggling to keep pace with rising traffic and record among the highest annual accident rates globally, a comprehensive policy framework for the transport of hazardous materials is imperative—one that prioritises public safety and security, rather than focusing solely on convenience and economic considerations.
Ramanath Jha is a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation.
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Dr. Ramanath Jha is Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, Mumbai. He works on urbanisation — urban sustainability, urban governance and urban planning. Dr. Jha belongs ...
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