A major Kalamboli Junction traffic jam disrupted movement towards Mumbai, Pune, Panvel, Palaspe Phata and Uran-JNPA on Saturday after traffic restrictions linked to Ganesh immersion processions in the Thane region delayed the reopening of the route towards Shilphata.
Long queues formed around Kalamboli Junction from the morning, slowing vehicles approaching the key interchange from several directions. The congestion also affected traffic moving towards Mumbai and Pune, as well as vehicles heading to Panvel, Palaspe Phata and the Uran-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority corridor.
Navi Mumbai Traffic Department Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Rahul Khade said the Shilphata route had been kept closed because of immersion processions in the Thane area. The processions were delayed, which meant that the route could not be reopened at the scheduled time, according to the report.
Vehicles that would normally have continued through the Shilphata route began getting held up towards Kalamboli Junction. Dr Khade said the disruption at one point affected traffic arriving from other connecting roads as well, causing the congestion to expand across the junction.
The traffic department expected conditions to improve within the next one to two hours, Dr Khade said. The report did not provide details of any additional diversions, lane restrictions or traffic-management measures at Kalamboli Junction beyond the route closures and diversions already imposed for the processions.
The disruption was not limited to Kalamboli. Traffic movement was also affected in Thane and Kalwa because of the immersion processions. Long queues were reported around Retibunder, Kalwa and Parsiknagar, where some roads were closed for the processions and vehicles were diverted through alternative routes.
The congestion also spilled onto the Agra-Mumbai Highway. Traffic moving towards Mumbai was reported to be moving slowly from the Mankoli Bridge area. Vehicles travelling from Kalyan-Dombivli and Nashik towards Mumbai were joining the same corridor, adding to the pressure on the route.
Kalamboli Junction is a critical connection point for traffic between Mumbai, the Mumbai-Pune corridor, Panvel, the port-linked Uran route and roads leading towards the wider Navi Mumbai region. In this instance, restrictions imposed in one part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region affected traffic well beyond the location of the procession, as vehicles were redirected or held on adjoining corridors.
The Navi Mumbai traffic department’s immediate expectation was that traffic would become smoother within one to two hours after the affected route could be reopened. The report did not state whether the Shilphata route had been reopened at the time of publication.
