New divider cuts every 2–2.5 km planned for Bhor Ghat stretch of Pune–Mumbai Expressway for emergency diversion

Fewer, narrower cuts

Speaking to The Indian Express, Tanaji Chikhale, Superintendent of Police, Highway Traffic, Raigad, said, “The existing infrastructure in the ghat section wasn’t built with emergencies in mind. The ghat stretch, which is 14 km long, currently has five divider cuts. Only two of them are reasonably wide and usable, allowing two vehicles to pass at a time. The remaining three are so narrow that only one vehicle can pass, which again creates bottlenecks.”

The highway traffic police have proposed creating new median openings at intervals of every 2 to 2.5 km. These would remain closed with barricades under normal conditions to prevent unauthorised access but could be opened swiftly during emergencies. Chikhale added that existing openings would be painted in a distinct colour to aid quick identification and faster clearance by cranes during emergencies.

Managing hazardous material

Beyond infrastructure, the police have flagged a key operational gap — the absence of a dedicated technical expert team with MSRDC and road developer IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited to advise on accidents involving hazardous materials.

“When gases or other hazardous materials are involved in the accidents, traffic cannot be allowed to move at all, and it’s a complete gridlock. In such cases, a permanent technical expert team will be able to provide quick solutions,” Chikhale said, noting that during the February 3 accident, the delayed arrival of outside experts cost the response team valuable time.

“Even after the missing link becomes operational, those travelling to and from Lonavala will definitely use the existing Bhor Ghat section. So passenger traffic will be present, having an expert team readily available with MSRDC is necessary for a quick response to accidents,” he added.

“The proposal was submitted to MSRDC on Wednesday. We are following up on the demands, and expecting that it may get a go-ahead in a week. The implementation will follow once approval is granted,” Chikhale said.