Malshej Ghat Shut on NH-61 as Road Caves In Near Junnar, Traffic Diverted Indefinitely
Authorities have closed the Malshej Ghat stretch of NH-61
Authorities have closed the Malshej Ghat stretch of NH-61 to all vehicles after a portion of the highway subsided near Karanjale, Junnar. Heavy rain-linked damage to a retaining wall triggered cracks, prompting an indefinite shutdown and diversion advisory.
Pune, 27th July 2026:
The Malshej Ghat stretch of National Highway 61, connecting Ahilyanagar and Kalyan, has been shut to all vehicular movement until further notice following a road subsidence near Karanjale village in Junnar taluka. The Highway Safety Patrol (HSP), Pune, issued a public advisory urging commuters to avoid the route entirely and use alternate roads until further notice.
The closure follows a formal communication sent on July 25 by the Sub-Divisional Officer of the National Highway Sub-Division, Murbad, to the Alephata Highway Traffic Police. The letter identified the affected stretch as lying between kilometre markers 99/500 and 99/600, part of a two-lane concrete highway upgrade completed in 2023.
According to officials, excavation and land-levelling activity on private agricultural land adjoining the highway is suspected to have weakened the base of a gabion retaining wall built along the road. Subsequent rainfall washed away supporting soil, further destabilising the structure and causing the road’s subgrade to sink. Wide cracks appeared on the concrete surface, with a 50-to-100-metre section giving way.
While the left carriageway was shut first as a precaution, officials later warned that continuing rain could cause the remaining section to collapse too. Concerns were also raised about heavy vehicles using the partially open road at night, prompting police to stop such traffic from Alephata and Ahilyanagar towards Kalyan.
Following this, the HSP expanded the restriction to a complete closure for all vehicles. No timeline for reopening has been given.
Motorists heading toward Mumbai or Kalyan have been advised to use the Alephata–Rajgurunagar–Chakan–Talegaon MIDC–Lonavala–Mumbai route or the Alephata–Sangamner–Nashik–Kasara–Kalyan–Mumbai route instead. Police have appealed to tourists and daily commuters not to attempt entry into the closed ghat section and to factor in extra travel time while taking the longer diversions.
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