Palaspe tailback stretches to 9 km as Ganeshotsav travellers head to Konkan

A tailback of up to nine kilometres formed at Palaspe Phata outside Panvel, delaying people travelling from the Mumbai region to Konkan for Ganeshotsav.

Police said the congestion began around 9pm on Friday after container vehicles from JNPT were stopped under festival restrictions and occupied three lanes near the Palaspe bridge. Passenger traffic built through the night, affecting the Sion-Panvel and JNPT corridors, Kharpada, Palaspe, Indapur and Mangaon. Motorists leaving the Atal Setu at Chirle also encountered the blockage.

At Palaspe Phata, traffic from the Mumbai-Pune corridor, JNPT routes and NH-66 merges before continuing south. Incomplete bypass works at Indapur and Mangaon further narrowed road capacity, with vehicles taking 45 minutes to an hour to cover five to six kilometres in those stretches.

Navi Mumbai police have deployed 400 personnel, including traffic staff and additional security personnel. Raigad police have imposed no-parking restrictions on highway shoulders and activated diversions around Pen, Wadkhal, Nagothane-Kolad and Mangaon. Police have also arranged towing support and said heavy traffic is expected to continue on Sunday. The disruption follows traffic-diversion plans announced for the festival rush.