Traffic Gridlock on Pune-Satara Highway as Two Trucks Breakdown at Khambatki Ghat

Satara, 23rd December 2023: Since 10 am this morning, traffic heading towards the Satara side has come to a standstill, creating a major bottleneck at Khambatki Ghat on the Pune-Satara Highway. The situation has been exacerbated by the presence of two trucks that stalled on the ghat and the surge in the number of vehicles, particularly with many people embarking on journeys to Goa and Mahabaleshwar for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

With Monday marking Christmas and falling adjacent to the weekend, a significant number of travelers have set out on the highways, contributing to the unprecedented congestion. The holiday rush has led to a surge in vehicles on the Pune-Satara Highway.

The issue began early in the morning when two trucks came to a halt at the top of the ghat, causing a gradual build-up of traffic woes. The congestion extended for three kilometers, reaching till Pargaon-Khandala. To prevent prolonged traffic jams on the ghat, authorities decided to divert traffic through the gorge tunnel, allowing only a single lane for passage.

Traffic police are working to manage and ease the traffic snarl on the Pune-Satara Highway.