On Mumbai-Nashik highway, potholed bridges choke traffic between Kharegaon & Thane

Five days after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde issued directions to address traffic-related issues on the Mumbai-Nashik highway, commuters continued to face a harrowing time on the stretch with vehicles stuck in endless queues on the stretch between Thane city and Kharegaon bridge.

Since July 3, commuters who would earlier navigate the stretch in 15-20 minutes are being forced to spend over two hours commuting on the same stretch.

While authorities have blamed the potholes that have cropped up on this section for the commuting woes, questions are being raised on why the state government has not been able to address the traffic problem which crops up every monsoon on this particular stretch which is the gateway for many vehicles that enter Mumbai from north Maharashtra and northern India.