Union minister Murlidhar Mohol inspected the Mumbai–Bengaluru highway crash site and called for urgent, coordinated action to prevent further tragedies.
Agencies including NHAI, PMC, PMRDA and PWD will meet to plan interim steps while a 32-km elevated road project awaits speedy execution.
Mohol said past measures reduced crashes but Thursday’s deadly fire underscores the need to fast-track permanent solutions.
Following the tragic accident on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway that claimed 8 lives, Union minister Murlidhar Mohol visited the scene on Friday and demanded a long-term solution to stop more tragedies on this dangerous route.
According to him, a gathering of several authorities would take place on Saturday to discuss and devise temporary solutions.
On Thursday night, a car was crushed between two enormous container trucks on the Navale Bridge, a notoriously accident-prone section of the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway. A massive fire engulfed all three cars, resulting in eight fatalities and fourteen injuries.
In the presence of local MLA Bhimrao Tapkir, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, and senior officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Mohol, who represents the Pune Lok Sabha seat, examined the accident site.
The NHAI, Public Works Department (PWD), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and the traffic department are among the stakeholder agencies that will meet on Saturday to discuss and finalise the interim measures, according to the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation.
An elevated corridor project connecting Narhe (near Sinhagad Road) and Ravet (in the Pimpri Chinchwad region) via Sutarwadi will be expedited.
An accident occurred in November 2022 on the Navale Bridge, a truck hit more than 40 vehicles, of which at least two dozen were heavily damaged. Around 20 people were injured.
Mohol said, "After the 2022 crash, several short-term and long-term interventions were identified. Measures such as increasing the number of rumblers, deploying additional speed guns and closing gaps between two lanes were implemented. These steps brought down accidents over the past two to three years." "However, the tragic loss of eight lives on Thursday shows that permanent solutions must now be expedited," he said.
Mohol said Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari earlier chaired meetings in Pune as well as Delhi following a string of crashes on the stretch.
"A 32-km elevated road between Jambhulwadi and Sutarwadi, and from Sutarwadi to Ravet, costing around Rs 6,000 crore, has been approved in principle, and its detailed project report (DPR) is ready. We will follow up with Gadkariji for speedy execution of this long-term solution," he added.
According to Mohol, enhanced speed enforcement, more rumblers, and brake and load inspections for big vehicles accessing the section near the Khed Shivapur toll plaza are all part of the immediate measures.
He stated that in addition to upgrading service roads to guarantee efficient traffic flow, authorities will look into ways to reroute large vehicles.
"All agencies will meet tomorrow. If any lack of coordination is found between them, strict action will be taken," Mohol said.
