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In preparation for the upcoming 10-day Ganesh festival starting August 27, the Maharashtra government will restrict the movement of heavy vehicles on the Mumbai-Goa National Highway (NH-66) to ease traffic for devotees, a
senior official announced.
The 500-km-long NH-66, which runs through the coastal Konkan region, experiences a significant surge in traffic as people travel to their hometowns for the festival.
Rajendra Holkar, Joint Secretary in the state transport department, stated that vehicles weighing 16 tonnes or more — such as trucks, trailers, lorries, and multi-axle vehicles — will be prohibited from using the highway during key festival days. This restriction, however, will not apply to vehicles transporting essential commodities.
The movement ban, imposed under Section 155 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, will be in effect during the following periods:
Heavy vehicles will be allowed to ply during the following windows:
Normal traffic for all vehicles will resume after 8 PM on September 7.
Exemptions from the restriction include vehicles transporting import-export cargo between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Navi Mumbai and Jaigad Port in Ratnagiri district, as well as those carrying milk, fuel, LPG, medicines, medical oxygen, food grains, vegetables, and other perishables. Vehicles involved in highway construction and repair will also be exempt.
Holkar confirmed that transport authorities and highway police will issue entry passes for exempted vehicles. Additionally, local police commissioners and district superintendents in the Konkan region have been authorised to ease restrictions based on ground conditions.
To ensure a smooth movement of cargo between ports, separate traffic arrangements will be implemented.
The Ganesh festival is Maharashtra’s most celebrated religious event, prompting large-scale travel to Konkan by devotees every year.
The 500-km-long NH-66, which runs through the coastal Konkan region, experiences a significant surge in traffic as people travel to their hometowns for the festival.
Rajendra Holkar, Joint Secretary in the state transport department, stated that vehicles weighing 16 tonnes or more — such as trucks, trailers, lorries, and multi-axle vehicles — will be prohibited from using the highway during key festival days. This restriction, however, will not apply to vehicles transporting essential commodities.
The movement ban, imposed under Section 155 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, will be in effect during the following periods:
- From midnight of August 23 to 11 PM on August 28
- August 31 and September 2 from 8 AM to 11 PM (for immersion of 5-day, 7-day, and Gauri Ganpati idols and return travel)
- From 8 AM on September 6 to 8 PM on September 7 (for the immersion of 11-day idols on Anant Chaturdashi)
Heavy vehicles will be allowed to ply during the following windows:
- August 28, 11 PM to
August 31, 8 AM
- August 31, 11 PM to September 2, 8 AM
- September 2, 11 PM to September 6, 8 AM
Normal traffic for all vehicles will resume after 8 PM on September 7.
Exemptions from the restriction include vehicles transporting import-export cargo between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Navi Mumbai and Jaigad Port in Ratnagiri district, as well as those carrying milk, fuel, LPG, medicines, medical oxygen, food grains, vegetables, and other perishables. Vehicles involved in highway construction and repair will also be exempt.
Holkar confirmed that transport authorities and highway police will issue entry passes for exempted vehicles. Additionally, local police commissioners and district superintendents in the Konkan region have been authorised to ease restrictions based on ground conditions.
To ensure a smooth movement of cargo between ports, separate traffic arrangements will be implemented.
The Ganesh festival is Maharashtra’s most celebrated religious event, prompting large-scale travel to Konkan by devotees every year.
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