Is it Motorable from Lonavala to South Mumbai

[viper]

Hi Guys,

My wife and 1.5 yr old son and her sister are stuck in Lonavala since Monday on account of heavy rains and partial closure of expressway due to landslides. Is it safe for them to return back today. Any body have any info on the road conditions. I dont want them to get stuck on the road as they are alone with a driver. Is Sion/King circle motorable or water logged. They have a old esteem which is not in a good condition.

Viper

[xtreme power]

viper dude
rains are expected again today so its safer if they remain there....
my aunt is also stuck in ambey.....
theres no use if they leave n then get stuck.......one more thing if they do decide to return tell the driver to take the road from wadala and then the docks road that u had taken the drive day since there was alot of traffic....
that road is also bad but not as bad......
my opinion....give it another day
cheers
Allan

[viper]

Originally Posted by xtreme power

viper dude
rains are expected again today so its safer if they remain there....
my aunt is also stuck in ambey.....
theres no use if they leave n then get stuck.......one more thing if they do decide to return tell the driver to take the road from wadala and then the docks road that u had taken the drive day since there was alot of traffic....
that road is also bad but not as bad......
my opinion....give it another day
cheers
Allan

Hi Allan,

Was thinking of the same thing. But will the dock road not be flooded. Ideally would want them to return since it is my dad's birthday tomorrow and there is a party at home tonight.

But do not want them to take any risk since my son is also there.

Viper

[revharder]

viper,
i can understand your problem, but cannot provide you with the help you asked for.

but i want to remind you one small thing, ask them to keep windows open while travelling.
last year my friend was stuck in his car in flooded streets and he had to break the side glass to come out of ill-functioning car.

[srasania]

dude..please don't tell them to return today..prediction of very heavy showers today(maybe worse than yesterdays rainfall is predicted,and given in Times of India)..
So,I wouldn't suggest returning back today..

-sr

[ported_head]

I din't see any refuge from the rain today. Car I wouldn't recommend at all, saw too many floating ones yesterday, I suggest taking the bus. Last night Expressway was open, I dropped a friend at Dadar to pick up a bus to Pune last night, at 9 pm, he was in Pune somewhere around 1-1.30am.

[danlalan]

leaving the car there coming back by bus would be a good idea...since ze buses can go through almost anything.....will take time..but will get them back to dadar t.t......however a part of the expressway is said to be bolcked for 72 hours....so jus check tht out on the news...or call up a travel agent who has buses plying onmumbai pune route and ask them for the road conditions...since their drivers will be on route....leave the car there let the drive come back and pick it up...park it at ur house there or a hotel

[viper]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your suggestions. Inspite of all advice they decided to return back and left at 11.45am. They are currently stuck in a traffic jam little ahead of Sion Circle. They had a clear run till chembur from where the traffic started.

Hopefully they will come out fast. No visible flooding is there.

Viper

[2fast4u]

Originally Posted by viper

Hi Guys,

My wife and 1.5 yr old son and her sister are stuck in Lonavala since Monday on account of heavy rains and partial closure of expressway due to landslides. Is it safe for them to return back today. Any body have any info on the road conditions. I dont want them to get stuck on the road as they are alone with a driver. Is Sion/King circle motorable or water logged. They have a old esteem which is not in a good condition.

Viper

The best option is to let them be there SECURE in lonavala and ask them to get to some Internet Cafe and have ur Dads birthday celebrated via the Webcam.
this is my view based on what i saw last year happen to mumbai.

[rks]

Originally Posted by viper

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your suggestions. Inspite of all advice they decided to return back and left at 11.45am. They are currently stuck in a traffic jam little ahead of Sion Circle. They had a clear run till chembur from where the traffic started.

Hopefully they will come out fast. No visible flooding is there.

I normally take the Ghatkopar route and the Eastern Express highway to avoid the congested Chembur. Usually no traffic jams on that route except at the big signal near Chunabhatti where the road forks to Chembur, and of course near Sion flyover/circle. But the Ghatkopar route is now beginning to deteriorate.

Revharder, I don't think it is a good idea to keep windows rolled down in heavy rain -- not unless you don't mind being splashed by dirty muddy water from passing vehicles --and being buffetted by the heavy rain and winds on the Expressway.

I am watching this thread with interest because I have to take my car to Mumbai on Friday (7th July) evening and return the following Monday morning. Hope the rain subsides by then.

Drove to Mumbai from Pune last Friday evening (30 June) from 7-00PM tp 9-45 PM and returned on Monday morning (7-30 AM to 10-00 AM) in blinding rain. The rains were exceptionally heavy during both drives, expecially on Monday morning. Saw an accident on the Expressway, with a mini-truck gone off the road and hit the side railings near Lonawala. Wondered how that could happen -- till my Santro hit a sheet of water at about 110 kmph and pulled sharply to the right. Wrestled with the steering and got it back on course. At times I felt like the car was skating on the Expressway, when my speed went to 120 kmph -- so had to slow down. The steering first pulls sharply to one side -- and when I correct, it then pulls the other way -- very poor control at that speed. Wonder if this is due to the power steering or maybe my overinflated tyres (33 psi)? Also it seems the tyres grip the smooth concrete patches of the Expressway very poorly under rainy, windy conditions --on the tar road at the Pune bypass stretch, the road grip seemed better. But this stretch, like the Sion-Panvel highway, is now rapidly developing pot-holes.

[revharder]

Originally Posted by rks

Revharder, I don't think it is a good idea to keep windows rolled down in heavy rain -- not unless you don't mind being splashed by dirty muddy water from passing vehicles --and being buffetted by the heavy rain and winds on the Expressway.

yes it is, atleast when you are crossing flooded streets.

last year my friend's esteem stalled on road with abt 2 feets of water. and every electronic thing started malfunctioning! since it had PW all around, they were not operating too! and atlast he managed to break his driver side window glass with his briefcase. coz it is almost impossible to break these glasses with bar hands.

so it was just a suggestion to either keep windows open (atleast u'll live to tell the tale!) or keep something handy to break the glass, in case such emergency arises.
and imho, windscreens are too stronger to be broken!

[drifter]

till my Santro hit a sheet of water at about 110 kmph and pulled sharply to the right. Wrestled with the steering and got it back on course. At times I felt like the car was skating on the Expressway, when my speed went to 120 kmph -- so had to slow down. The steering first pulls sharply to one side -- and when I correct, it then pulls the other way -- very poor control at that speed.

You have just been introduced to aquaplaning my friend. Drive safe and it even pays more to stay within the speed limit on rainy days.

Drifter

[viper]

Originally Posted by rks

I am watching this thread with interest because I have to take my car to Mumbai on Friday (7th July) evening and return the following Monday morning. Hope the rain subsides by then.

Hi,

They are stuck in the Dadar area since an hour. Traffic has been diverted from Sion and they are now being diverted via Sewri as of 2.30pm.

Viper

[viper]

Hi,

They have finally reached home after 3 hours. Not bad considering the situation outside.

Viper

[Rtech]

Good to hear that Viper. How is the situation on the ground? FLooding in any area's there? Rain seems to have taken a break right now, lets hope it stays that way.