Emergency Traffic Plan Post Mumbai-Pune Expressway Mishap
A recent incident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has highlighted the need for better emergency preparedness in India. A gas tanker accident caused a monumental traffic jam lasting 36 hours, prompting the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to develop an emergency traffic plan to handle similar situations in the future.
The disruption began on a Tuesday evening when a tanker carrying flammable propylene gas toppled near the Adoshi tunnel in Raigad, leading to a significant leak. Authorities had no choice but to shut down the Mumbai-bound carriageway and redirect traffic, which turned out to be a challenging task.
MSRDC officials, responding to directions from Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, are currently analyzing the incident to develop a strategy that could minimize the impact of such emergencies. Managing Director Anil Kumar Gaikwad emphasized that the situation was unprecedented and that safety was their top priority.
As the tanker overturned, three of its valves were damaged, resulting in a continuous leak of propylene gas. With 21 metric tonnes of highly flammable material onboard, authorities imposed a safety radius of at least 15 meters, leading to the closure of lanes heading towards Mumbai.
This diversion rerouted traffic from 10 lanes—six on the Expressway and four on the old highway—into just seven lanes. This created severe congestion that lasted over a day. MSRDC officials mentioned that stopping the gas leak was a major challenge, requiring experts in chemical and mechanical engineering to address the issue promptly.
While the National Disaster Response Force and chemical experts reached the site on Tuesday night, it took until Wednesday to transfer the flammable gas into other tankers. The overturned vehicle was finally removed by Thursday morning, but normal traffic flow was restored only by noon.
Gaikwad indicated that the incident has shown that there is always room for improvement in emergency response plans. However, he also pointed out that the permanent solution to prevent such traffic disruptions is the Missing Link project, which aims to bypass the accident-prone section between Khandala and Lonavala.
The Missing Link project is expected to significantly ease traffic flow between Mumbai and Pune, cutting travel time by approximately 30 minutes and ensuring that vehicles carrying hazardous materials will no longer use that stretch. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of effective traffic management and safety measures on India's busy highways.
