Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Traffic on a 24-km stretch of Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Expressway was diverted on Saturday evening after a gas leak was reported from a GAIL pipeline near Takliwadi in Gangapur taluka.
The leak was reported at around 5 pm from a section of the pipeline running alongside the expressway. Soon after the incident, the district administration alerted GAIL officials and took precautionary measures to keep motorists away from the affected area. Fire-fighting equipment was also kept ready at the site as a safety measure.
Authorities diverted traffic between chainage 447 and 470, covering the stretch between Hadas Pimpalgaon and Maliwada. Vehicles were redirected onto the Dhule-Solapur highway to avoid the area near the leaking pipeline.
According to the traffic advisory, vehicles travelling towards Mumbai were asked to leave the Samruddhi Expressway at the Hadas Pimpalgaon interchange. They could then use the Dhule-Solapur highway and re-enter the expressway at Maliwada.
Similarly, vehicles travelling towards Nagpur were directed to exit at the Maliwada interchange, take the Dhule-Solapur highway and rejoin the Samruddhi Expressway at Hadas Pimpalgaon.
GAIL technical teams reached the site and shut valves on both sides of the affected section of the pipeline. This allowed the pressure inside the pipeline to gradually decrease, reducing the immediate risk around the area.
Senior officials from the district administration and police were monitoring the situation while technical teams worked to contain the leak. Officials said efforts were underway to restore normal traffic movement as soon as the area was considered safe.
The incident caused disruption for motorists using the busy Mumbai-Nagpur corridor, with vehicles being diverted through an alternative highway. The administration's decision to reroute traffic was taken as a precaution because of the proximity of the gas pipeline to the expressway.
As of the latest reports, officials had not indicated any casualties or major damage caused by the leak. The immediate focus remained on safely depressurising the pipeline and securing the affected stretch before normal traffic could resume.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, and commuters travelling through the affected section have been advised to follow the diversion routes and instructions issued by local officials.
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