The Uran JNPT Highway remains partially dark because streetlights are not functioning at several locations, raising safety concerns for motorists using the important freight and passenger corridor ahead of the monsoon, according to a report by Loksatta – Navi Mumbai.
The affected route connects Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Uran, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Pune. The report said streetlights were not working on the JNPT-Palaspe highway and the JNPA-Amra Marg route in Navi Mumbai, leaving sections of the national highways without adequate illumination after dark.
The dark stretches reportedly include areas between Dronagiri and Dhutum, Karal, the Jasai flyover and Gavan Phata. These sections carry thousands of heavy vehicles linked to port operations, including container trucks, alongside passenger vehicles and two-wheelers.
The safety concern is compounded by heavy vehicles being parked in large numbers on parts of the main carriageway and service roads. According to the report, the parked vehicles often lack warning equipment or other visible safety measures to alert approaching motorists. In darkness, such obstructions can be difficult to identify, particularly on a route where vehicles travel at high speeds.
Loksatta reported that rain expected in the coming days could worsen road conditions and increase the risk of crashes. Mud and potholes have also been reported at several points along the route. The combination of poor visibility, parked containers, uneven road surfaces and fast-moving traffic has raised concerns among drivers and local residents.
The highway has improved travel between Uran and the major urban and industrial centres around Navi Mumbai and Panvel, with journeys generally becoming faster apart from occasional congestion. That improved speed, however, also increases the consequences of inadequate lighting and roadside obstructions. The report noted that two-wheeler riders have been among those involved in accidents on the route, while crashes were also reported on the same corridor recently.
The issue has drawn the attention of Uran municipal president Bhavana Ghanekar, who reportedly met officials of the National Highways Authority of India and sought the restoration of streetlights on the national highway connecting Uran. Vehicle users and citizens are also demanding that NHAI repair the lighting system and take measures to warn approaching traffic about stationary heavy vehicles.
The corridor is strategically important because it serves JNPA, one of the country’s major port-linked logistics zones, while also carrying local and regional passenger traffic. Any safety response will therefore have to address both the failed streetlights and the management of parked container vehicles, as well as mud and potholes before sustained monsoon conditions affect the route. The immediate demand raised in the report is for NHAI to restore the streetlights and implement safeguards against crashes on the affected stretches.
