Mumbai travellers urged to take alternate routes to Konkan for Ganesh festival
Mumbai is bracing for one of the busiest travel weekends of the year as lakhs of devotees prepare to head towards the Konkan region for Ganesh Chaturthi beginning on 27 August. With traffic gridlocks expected on the Mumbai–Goa highway from 23 to 26 August, authorities and transport experts are strongly advising travellers to opt for alternate routes through Pune and Kolhapur to ensure smoother and faster journeys.
Every year, the homecoming of thousands of workers and families to their native towns in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts creates unprecedented strain on the highway network. This year, the concern has deepened as stretches between Vadkhal and Mangaon are marked by deep potholes, likely to stretch a 10-hour journey into nearly 20 hours. Private operators and state transport buses, which are mandated to use the highway, are already preparing for longer travel times, while car owners are being encouraged to explore diversions via Pune–Bengaluru highway and adjoining ghats.
Transport planners highlight that six alternate corridors are accessible from Pune and Kolhapur, leading travellers through Amboli, Phonda, Karul, Bhui Bawda, Ambaghat and Anuskura ghats. These link roads, though longer in kilometres, help save crucial travel hours by bypassing broken patches and bottlenecks. The routes also connect conveniently to interior towns like Sawantwadi, Kankavli, Malvan, Rajapur and Lanja, ensuring access to most festival-bound villages. Experts note that the shift towards alternate roads is not merely about speed but also sustainability. Congestion on highways leads to unnecessary fuel consumption and higher carbon emissions. Encouraging dispersal across multiple routes helps reduce vehicular idling, lowers pollution in densely populated corridors, and lessens the stress on road infrastructure. Environmentalists believe this could set a precedent for long-term traffic planning, where seasonal surges are managed with eco-conscious diversions.
The festival rush also underlines the urgent need for improved road maintenance and long-pending upgrades to the Mumbai–Goa highway. Despite repeated commitments, the highway expansion has faced delays, leaving commuters vulnerable to deteriorating surfaces and unsafe conditions. Urban planners argue that balanced investments in both expressways and rural connectors will not only ensure safer travel during festive peaks but also strengthen regional economies that depend on year-round road connectivity.As the migration towards Konkan begins this weekend, families are weighing convenience against tradition. For many, the decision to take an alternative ghat route may mean fewer hours stuck in traffic, lower fuel bills, and a safer journey. For the state, it is a reminder that festive mobility must be planned not just for efficiency but also for environmental sustainability and public safety.
