Traffic movement on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was disrupted once again on Monday morning after a propylene gas tanker crashed into a barrier near the Amrutanjan Bridge.
According to the Highway Police, the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off course and hit the roadside crash barrier before coming to a halt. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported and there was no gas leakage, averting a potentially serious situation.
Police and traffic officials quickly reached the spot and shifted the tanker to clear the affected stretch. While congestion was reported across three lanes, the situation was brought under control within approximately 30 minutes.
The incident comes close on the heels of a major disruption earlier this month, when an overturned propylene tanker near the Adoshi tunnel in the Khandala ghat led to a 32-hour-long shutdown of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The operation to safely transfer the gas and remove the tanker took more than a day, leaving commuters stranded and marking one of the longest traffic gridlocks in the history of the 94.5-km expressway.
33-hour Mumbai-Pune Expressway disruption: 1 lakh motorists to get Rs 5.16 cr toll refund, says MSRDC
Meanwhile, more than one lakh motorists who were caught up in a massive traffic gridlock on Mumbai-Pune Expressway earlier this month after a gas tanker mishap will get toll refund cumulatively valued at Rs 5.16 crore, a senior Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation official said on Sunday.
On February 3, a gas tanker turned turtle on the Khopoli stretch of the Expressway, leading to a 33-hour disruption which saw traffic come to a standstill for several kilometres, leaving many motorists and passengers facing shortage of water, food and other basic amenities.
Following the accident, the administration had ordered an immediate suspension of toll collection. However, by then, toll charges had already been deducted from the FASTag accounts of several motorists.
