Kalyan Shilphata traffic jam conditions worsened across the Kalyan-Shilphata-Mhape corridor and adjoining roads after heavy goods vehicles entered the route during ongoing Ganpati immersion processions, leaving commuters travelling towards Pune, Alibaug, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai-facing areas stranded, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane.
The congestion began on Friday night as immersion processions continued late in Kalyan, Dombivli and Thane. With several city roads occupied by processions, heavy vehicles reportedly shifted to alternative routes and arrived together on the Kalyan-Shilphata, Mhape, Badlapur and Taloja roads. The resulting traffic spillover affected the Shilphata Road as well as connecting roads in the surrounding area.
Traffic was reported to be particularly slow between Palava, Kalyan Phata and Mhape. Vehicles on nearby access roads were also caught in the congestion, worsening movement around the main corridor. Residents who had travelled by road to Mumbai for Ganpati darshan were among those reported to be stuck in the traffic.
The report said traffic police personnel had been deployed through the night at immersion processions. By Saturday morning, however, the number of traffic police present on the affected roads was limited, while heavy vehicles continued to enter routes including Shilphata Road and the Mumbra-Thane road during the morning period.
Several heavy vehicles reportedly became immobilised at narrow stretches around Katai Naka, Palava, Khidkali and Desai village. The concentration of large vehicles on roads with limited width restricted movement and contributed to congestion spreading beyond the original bottleneck.
The disruption also affected travellers who had planned journeys to Pune and Alibaug during the two-day holiday period. As Shilphata Road remained congested, vehicles on the Katai Naka-Badlapur road also experienced delays. The situation highlighted the operational challenge of managing freight movement alongside festival processions on a corridor already carrying traffic between the Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai regions.
The report did not provide details of a formal traffic diversion plan, enforcement action against vehicles that allegedly entered during restricted hours, or an official estimate of when the congestion would clear. Further movement on the Shilphata-Mhape corridor will depend on the removal of stranded heavy vehicles and traffic management after the immersion-related restrictions ease.
