Mumbai’s Goregaon area on Friday morning after a collision between a crane and a truck led to the crane overturning on Aarey Bridge. The incident triggered a two-hour gridlock on the Western Express Highway (WEH), severely affecting the southbound carriageway during peak office hours.The crash occurred at a critical junction of the Aarey flyover, a high-traffic corridor connecting northern suburbs to key commercial districts in Mumbai.
Both drivers involved in the accident sustained injuries and were swiftly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. While the exact extent of the injuries is yet to be confirmed, authorities say the emergency response helped avoid a more dangerous fallout.Photographs and videos that quickly surfaced online showed the crane lying on its side against the edge of the flyover, partially breaching the protective wall and obstructing multiple lanes. This dramatic scene brought southbound traffic to a near standstill, with motorists forced to remain stationary for nearly two hours.
The Mumbai Traffic Police was quick to issue alerts on social media, advising commuters to avoid the stretch and use alternative routes. “Traffic movement is slow at Aarey Bridge (Dindoshi) southbound due to accident,” the department posted on X (formerly Twitter), cautioning the public about ongoing recovery operations.Officials from the traffic department, along with emergency response teams and additional crane units, were deployed to remove the toppled equipment. Given the sheer size of the overturned crane and the confined space of the bridge, the clearance efforts were challenging and time-intensive. However, traffic was finally restored to normal around mid-morning.
Preliminary investigations point to the possibility of mechanical failure or driver error, but a full report is awaited. Authorities are also reviewing CCTV footage and conducting technical checks on both vehicles to determine whether negligence, speeding, or inadequate safety checks contributed to the incident.Urban infrastructure experts noted that this crash once again underscores the risk of heavy construction and industrial vehicles operating on crowded public roads during high-traffic periods. With Mumbai undergoing significant road and metro infrastructure expansion, cranes and trucks have become increasingly common on arterial routes like the WEH—often without dedicated lanes or time-based movement restrictions.
The Western Express Highway is a vital urban artery for Mumbai, handling tens of thousands of vehicles daily. A bottleneck at any one point, particularly during rush hours, has cascading effects on city-wide traffic. Friday’s disruption stretched as far as Andheri and Jogeshwari, with bus services and emergency vehicles also facing delays.As Mumbai continues to grapple with rapid urbanisation and growing vehicular load, civic planners and traffic authorities face mounting pressure to develop protocols that protect commuters from infrastructure-related accidents. Proposals such as restricting the movement of heavy vehicles during morning peak hours, upgrading road safety monitoring systems, and faster deployment of emergency recovery units are gaining renewed relevance.
By early afternoon, the traffic police issued a final update stating that the situation had been brought under control and movement had resumed smoothly. However, the disruption served as a reminder of the urgent need for robust planning and strict enforcement of safety norms on Mumbai’s busiest roads—especially as the city races to complete multiple public infrastructure projects ahead of schedule.
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