Thane’s Ghodbunder Road witnessed yet another morning of severe congestion on Thursday, renewing long-standing concerns about the corridor’s deteriorating road surface, heavy vehicle load, and growing mobility challenges for residents across the region. The traffic disruption, triggered by an accident involving a heavy vehicle, caused delays stretching for several kilometres and highlighted the urgent need for resilient, equitable and sustainable transport planning along one of the city’s busiest urban links.
Ghodbunder Road serves as a strategic connector between Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai, Gujarat-bound freight movement, and industrial clusters across Bhiwandi and Nashik. The corridor’s dual role as a freight artery and daily commuter route places consistent pressure on its ageing road infrastructure. According to transport officials, the increasing mix of local traffic and long-haul cargo movement has created conditions where even a minor incident leads to prolonged gridlock. On Thursday, a heavy vehicle reportedly hit a divider near Kajupada around 7 am, halting the already narrow Gaumukh Ghat stretch and leading to traffic queues that extended well beyond peak hours. Residents who rely on Ghodbunder Road for work, education and daily transit said the conditions have become untenable. “This road has become unpredictable; a single breakdown brings the entire corridor to a halt,” an affected commuter shared. The poor road quality on the ghat section, combined with ongoing construction and patchy maintenance, has contributed to recurring delays that are severely impacting travel reliability.
Experts note that the freight volume through Ghodbunder Road has grown significantly due to its role as a bypass for trucks travelling between Uran, JNPA, Gujarat, and Maharashtra’s logistics hubs. While heavy vehicles are officially restricted in Thane after 6 am, residents claim that enforcement remains inconsistent, resulting in trucks entering the stretch during peak commuter windows. This raises questions about regulatory oversight and the sustainability of mixed-traffic corridors in dense urban areas. Urban mobility planners suggest that Ghodbunder Road requires a long-term redesign strategy focused on segregating freight and passenger traffic, improving carriageway durability, and enhancing public transport connectivity to reduce private vehicle dependence. Several experts argue that climate-resilient road engineering, expanded lane capacity in ghat sections, and intelligent traffic management systems could substantially ease bottlenecks.
For a rapidly growing city like Thane, the congestion underscores a deeper challenge: the need to build transport infrastructure that is inclusive, future-ready and aligned with sustainable urban mobility principles. As the region continues to expand, ensuring safer, smoother and lower-carbon commute options will be critical to improving livability for its residents. Local authorities have indicated that repair and widening works are being examined, though no formal timeline has been announced. For now, commuters along Ghodbunder Road continue to navigate daily delays, hoping for long-term solutions that prioritise accessibility, resilience and equitable movement for all users.
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