Pothole triggers 15-vehicle pile-up on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Palghar
A chain accident involving more than 15 vehicles occurred near the Mahalakshmi Temple in Dahanu taluka on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Palghar district during the early hours of Friday. The pile-up, which caused severe traffic disruption and heavy vehicle damage, was triggered when multiple vehicles suffered sudden tyre bursts after hitting a massive pothole on a highway flyover.
The incident took place on the Gujarat-to-Mumbai carriageway of the highway. According to reports, several high-speed vehicles hit a deep pothole on the flyover, causing their tyres to burst. This led to a series of accidents and near-collisions within a span of 10 to 12 minutes.
No fatalities were reported in the incident, though more than 15 vehicles sustained heavy damage. Visuals from the spot showed multiple damaged and stranded vehicles along the flyover, which severely disrupted traffic movement for some time.
Motorists at the scene alleged that the stretch of road has become extremely dangerous. They reported that iron reinforcement bars were jutting out from the concrete surface of the flyover. Drivers stated that they lost control of their vehicles immediately after their tyres burst on impact with the pothole, causing panic among commuters travelling during the night.
The accident has raised serious concerns regarding the quality and condition of the highway infrastructure. Last year, nearly ₹620 crore was spent on a "white topping" project for the highway. White topping involves laying a concrete layer over an existing asphalt road to improve durability and increase road life.
Separate contractors were assigned the work of construction and maintenance of flyovers and bridges along the route. However, the onset of monsoon rains appears to have exposed major defects in the road surface, sparking criticism over the quality of construction and maintenance work.
Following the pile-up, commuters and local residents demanded a thorough investigation and accountability from the contractors and authorities responsible for maintaining the highway. Officials have not yet released a detailed statement regarding the accident and road condition.
