For the convenience of motorist travelling to Konkan during Ganeshotsav, heavy vehicles will be prohibited from plying on Mumbai-Goa National Highway. The ban will begin on August 23.
The restriction will apply to trucks, multi-axle vehicles, trailers, lorries and other heavy vehicles from midnight of August 23 to 11 pm on August 28. Further curbs will be enforced on August 31 and September 2 from 8 am to 11 pm to facilitate the immersion of Ganesh idols of five and seven days, Gauri Ganpati idols, and the return journeys of devotees, said the statement.
For the immersion of 11-day idols on Anant Chaturdashi, the ban will be in place from 8 am on September 6 until 8 pm on September 7.
According to Holkar, during the intervening periods heavy vehicles will be permitted to ply on the highway.
These include from 11 pm of August 28 to 8 am of August 31, from 11 pm of August 31 to 8 am of September 2, and from 11 pm of September 2 to 8 am of September 6. Normal traffic movement for all vehicles will resume after 8 pm on September 7.
The nearly 500-km-long NH-66, which passes through the coastal Konkan region, sees a heavy rush of Lord Ganesh devotees during and immediately after the festival.
The state government has already made the Mumbai-Pune Expressway available for smooth traffic flow to provide a safer alternative for commuters going towards Konkan.
Additionally, the Raigad district administration has imposed a complete ban on the movement of heavy vehicles on the Mumbai–Pune road, which passes through Bhor Ghat, considering frequent accidents on the stretch. This ban effective from August 19.
There have been at least 18 accidents involving heavy vehicles on the Bhor Ghat section of the road between 2021 and 2025. It was observed that a lot of vehicles carrying heavy goods were using this route in a bid to avoid paying the toll, said a police officer from Khopoli police station.
Officials noted that the Bor Ghat stretch of highway is steep and has dangerous curves. The frequent mishaps have also triggered public anger and concerns about law and order.