Landslides, severe waterlogging and the temporary closure of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway as well as the old Pune-Mumbai Highway brought travel between the two cities to a near standstill on Monday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for several hours as rain battered the ghat section.Rescue personnel carry out operations with the help of earthmovers after heavy rainfall triggered a landslide near the Missing Link section of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, in Maharashtra. (Handout)On the expressway, the worst-hit stretch was the recently inaugurated Connecting Link section, where a major landslide sent tonnes of mud and debris onto the carriageway, forcing authorities to shut traffic as a precaution. The landslide occurred near the exit of a large tunnel on the Pune-Mumbai highway.The project was inaugurated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in May this year, and he described it as an ‘engineering marvel’ and an ‘iconic project’. Developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the ‘Connecting Link’ is 13.3km long and reportedly cost ₹7,000 crore.Families returning after the weekend, office-goers, tourists and truck drivers remained trapped inside their vehicles for hours, with many running out of food and drinking water and having little clarity on when traffic would resume. Children and senior citizens were among the worst affected.“We left Pune expecting to reach Mumbai in about three hours, but we’ve hardly moved. My children are tired, and there’s no way to turn back,” said Mahesh Jadhav, who was stranded on the expressway.Swaroop Nagtilak, who was travelling from Satara to Mumbai, said, “I started early in the morning hoping to avoid traffic, but I’ve been stranded since around 5 am. The heavy rain and landslides completely changed my plans. Visibility is extremely poor, and everyone is simply waiting for the vehicles ahead to move.”“While the rest of the connecting link remains intact, traffic was halted only at the tunnel exit due to the landslide,” said Rakesh Sonawane, MSRDC executive engineer.Fadnavis said, “There is no damage to tunnels and the cable-stayed bridge, even as a landslide was reported just outside the tunnel. Nearly 100 tonnes of debris had accumulated at the landslide site. Around 70 tonnes have already been cleared, and the remaining debris is being removed rapidly.”Shivaji Pawar, superintendent of police (highway), said, “All lanes on the Mumbai-to-Pune carriageway at the Connecting Link have been reopened. However, traffic on the Pune-to-Mumbai carriageway remains suspended at the Connecting Link as debris removal work is still underway. In the Borghat section, where motorists are using the non-Connecting Link route, traffic continues to move slowly because of waterlogging and minor landslides.”Simultaneously, the old Pune-Mumbai Highway was closed after heavy rain led to waterlogging and overflowing streams at multiple locations, leaving motorists with virtually no alternative route.The twin disruptions triggered massive congestion across the expressway, with vehicles stretching for several kilometres in both directions. Waterlogging near Wakad, the Urse Food Mall, Khalapur Food Mall and other low-lying stretches further slowed traffic, while poor visibility and minor landslides in the Borghat section compounded the situation.Ranjan Kumar Sharma, inspector general of police (Kolhapur Range), said, “Incessant rainfall had triggered landslides, flooding and waterlogging at several locations, making travel hazardous.”The disruption also affected key alternative routes through Maval and Tamhini Ghat, where overflowing streams and flood-like conditions made travel risky.According to Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi, the district had been on high alert for the past four days. “During the last two days, nearly 27 rain gauge circles recorded more than 65 mm of rainfall, while some areas received close to 200 mm in 48 hours. Landslides occurred at several places, and a number of roads were blocked. While most roads have now been reopened, a few routes in Rajgad, Maval and Mulshi tehsils remain closed,” he said.Public works minister Shivendraraje Bhosale visited the site to review the restoration work, and highway authorities and emergency response teams worked round-the-clock to clear debris and stabilise the slope.By evening, MSRDC reported that debris near tunnel 2 had been cleared, although the tunnel will be reopened to traffic after safety and technical assessments. “As a precautionary measure, a detailed inspection of the slope above the tunnel is currently underway to assess the presence of any loose material. Due to persistent heavy rainfall and strong winds, the inspection is taking longer than anticipated. The tunnel will be reopened for traffic only after all safety and technical assessments are completed and the area is declared safe for vehicular movement. Commuters are requested to avoid non-essential travel and cooperate with the authorities by following the traffic advisories in force,” MSRDC stated in a statement.