The left carriageway of the Kalyan-Ahilyanagar section of national highway (NH) 61 near Karanjale village in the Malshej ghat region has been closed to heavy vehicular traffic after a portion of the newly-constructed concrete road collapsed, prompting authorities to divert traffic through alternate routes to prevent any untoward incident.
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Shivaji Pawar, superintendent of police (highway safety patrol, Pune), said, “As per the written communication received from the national highways authority, the Malshej ghat section on NH 61 (Ahilyanagar-Kalyan road) has been closed to all vehicular traffic until further orders due to road subsidence near Karanjale village.” Pawar further stated that all commuters are requested not to use the Malshej ghat route and to plan their journey through alternate routes until the road is reopened. As a precautionary measure, heavy vehicles travelling from Alephata and Ahilyanagar towards Kalyan have been diverted through alternate routes.
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As per the official communication issued by the national highways sub-division Murbad to the highway traffic police at Alephata, the affected stretch is located between km 99/500 and km 99/600 near Karanjale village. It was upgraded into a two-lane concrete highway in 2023. According to the letter, the subsidence occurred after the foundation of a gabion retaining wall along the highway was weakened. Authorities alleged that hill-cutting and land-levelling carried out on a private agricultural plot adjoining the highway by the landowner for farming purposes destabilised the foundation of the retaining wall. Officials further said that continuous monsoon rains worsened the situation as runoff from the adjoining hillside washed away the soil beneath the road. As a result, the highway’s subgrade gave way, causing nearly 50 to 100 metres of the concrete carriageway to sink. Following the incident, the left carriageway has been closed as a precautionary measure while traffic is currently being allowed only on the opposite side of the highway. However, national highways’ authorities have expressed concern that the remaining carriageway may also become unsafe if heavy vehicles continue to ply on it, especially during the night, as the Karanjale area near Malshej ghat is witnessing heavy rainfall. In view of the risk, the national highways sub-division has requested the highway traffic police to immediately stop heavy vehicles from travelling towards Kalyan from Alephata and Ahilyanagar and divert them through alternate routes instead.
According to the authorities, commuters should take alternate routes like Alephata – Rajgurunagar – Chakan – Talegaon MIDC – Lonavala – Mumbai; and Alephata – Sangamner – Nashik – Kasara – Kalyan – Mumbai. Authorities have appealed to motorists to follow the traffic advisory and cooperate until restoration work is completed and the highway is declared safe for traffic.
