Bharuch, September 7 – A sudden closure of the unofficially opened Pungam–Dehgam expressway which is the part of Vadodara – Surat stretch of Delhi – Mumbai Expressway triggered massive traffic congestion on Friday night, leaving motorists stranded for hours on the Narmada Bridge. This stretch of Delhi – Mumbai Expressway is between Bharuch and Surat. Though it is not opened officially, the works are completed and the portion is quite motorable.

For the past four days, vehicles from Vadodara via Hansot–Surat had been using the newly laid Pungam–Dehgam route to bypass traffic in Ankleshwar and Bharuch city. The road, though not officially inaugurated, had become a convenient alternative for commuters seeking to avoid long jams in the twin towns.

However, on Friday night, large debris was placed near Pungam, blocking the entry point. This sudden move created long queues of vehicles on the bridge, particularly affecting motorists heading toward Surat. Many drivers expressed frustration, saying that had the closure been enforced from Dehgam itself, they would not have been caught in such a severe jam.

“The authorities should have stopped us earlier. Instead, we were left stranded for hours on the bridge without any option to move,” a motorist complained.

Officials later clarified that the expressway entry from Pungam has not yet been formally opened. With the Ankleshwar–Hansot road submerged due to Narmada floods and a red alert already issued in Bharuch, authorities said that allowing unofficial traffic posed serious risks. “If an accident had occurred on the still-flooded stretch, it would have caused greater trouble,” an official stated.

The abrupt closure, however, left thousands of commuters angered, as what had seemed like a smooth alternative route quickly turned into a nightmare of bumper-to-bumper traffic. DeshGujarat