Outrage is mounting among commuters over the severe traffic congestion and large potholes plaguing the Mumbai-Nashik highway due to ongoing construction work. The situation reached a boiling point just three days ago when exceptionally long queues formed on the highway, leaving thousands of travelers stranded for hours. Commuters report that the problems are widespread, with severe potholes at Bhiwandi, Mankoli, Igatpuri, and Sinnar Phata causing significant delays and vehicle damage. Residents share harrowing experiences ranging from accidents and missed flights to severe mental distress. Few people from real- estate sector are complaining of depreciating property capital values near the most congested bottlenecks.

Punit Parwal, a commuter to went to Nashik last week through this route witnessed a pothole that is up to the size of a Tata mini truck “I along with my colleague went to Nashik for a business meeting. Deplorable road conditions, congested highways and wide potholes are a nightmare.  Our car was not moving even at the speed of 20 km/hour. While returning, my colleague missed his flight. This traffic jam is severely hampering the business activities. Next week, once again I have to go to Nashik but I’ll have to think twice before travelling.”

A commuter who resides in Mankoli resident told, "As a daily commuter on this highway, I've faced multiple accidents and injuries due to the numerous potholes and complete lack of street lighting. It's become a nightmare, and we urgently need intervention from the authorities."

Buses are frequently getting stuck near Kasara ghat to Bhiwandi, further exacerbating the congestion. Regular commuters also note persistent traffic jams at Padgha and Vasind, often caused by breakdowns of heavy vehicles. One particularly troublesome area is the stretch from Majiwada to Kalyan bypass road via Mankoli, which is heavily congested due to numerous potholes and ongoing construction.

Another commuter Manish Koparkar told, “Just 6 days ago, I travelled on this route. Thane to Padgha connection section  is going to up gradation, but the  quality of this concrete road seems very poor. I have even observed some minor cracks at some part of this concrete road. Lack of street lights and sudden diversion due to up gradation creates problem as its become very very difficult to see this sudden diversion at night and feels dangerous.”

 Social activist Mohammad Rafique told, “Ahead of Mankoli, when Bhiwandi ends, the road gets into 2 lane. There are potholes on 1 side and other side is okay. On top of it, Bhiwandi which is a growing logistics centre is facing severe challenges due to bottlenecks. Authorities should think of setting up drone cameras and patrolling vehicles. Concretization of roads have not happened before monsoons.”  Rafique told that there are many of his real estate friends who are facing loss in their business due to the traffic congestion. “No one is ready to buy flats near this route. Despite paying toll that is approx 500-600, from Mumbai to Nashik, citizens are not getting proper infrastructural facilities. Contractors don’t pay attention. Even under-passes are not maintained properly”

NHAI officials from Nashik acknowledged that there are few potholes present at  Vadape to Nashik section and informed LokmatTimes.com that flyover works are being carried out and are likely to get completed by October and after that traffic congestion is likely to reduce. 

Subhash Borde, Executive Engineer at MSRDC told, “The heavy traffic caused by large warehouses in Mankoli, Anjur, and Dapode areas affects the regular flow of traffic from the time it enters the road. This affects both the Mumbai-Nashik and Nashik-Mumbai lanes.It is understood that the interior road is under the PWD. Large potholes form on this road. Also, due to the lack of parking within the warehouses, containers remain parked on the road.”

The MSRDC is currently upgrading the existing 4-lane road to an 8-lane concrete road on the Vadpe-Thane National Highway. The project, covering 23.800 km, is 60% complete and scheduled for completion by May 2025. As frustrations mount, commuters are calling for urgent action, including better road maintenance, improved traffic management, and enhanced safety measures.