Mumbaikars have left the city in large numbers due to the Maharashtra Day and Labour Day holidays. Tourists have especially headed towards the Konkan region to visit their native places, taking advantage of the three consecutive holidays this weekend. However, travellers are facing severe inconvenience due to traffic congestion caused by the incomplete work on the Mumbai-Goa Highway (NH66).
Long queues of vehicles have formed on the Konkan-bound lane near Nagothane on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. The heavy rush of tourists travelling to Konkan during the holiday period has resulted in major traffic snarls, forcing commuters to remain stuck for hours.
Traffic movement has come to a near standstill from Kamat Hotel in Nagothane to Wakan Phata. A large number of people from Mumbai and its suburbs have travelled towards Konkan in private vehicles to spend their long weekend in villages. However, the long-pending highway work has emerged as the main reason behind the congestion. Poor road conditions and narrow lanes have significantly slowed vehicle movement.
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The situation has worsened due to some unruly drivers attempting to break queues and move ahead, leading to gridlocks at several locations. Although the police administration is trying to regulate the traffic.
Meanwhile, heavy traffic congestion has also been reported on the Mumbai-Pune highway towards Satara. Due to the consecutive holidays, there has been a huge rush of travellers heading from Mumbai and Pune towards Satara, Karad, Sangli and Kolhapur.
A major traffic jam has also been reported from the Khed Shivapur toll booth to the new Katraj tunnel. Travellers heading to their native places are facing long delays as vehicle movement near the toll plaza remains slow, resulting in long queues on the highway.