Route update: My experience driving from Velneshwar to Mumbai

I could hardly see the road due to the thick fog. My car jumped one foot down and its underbody came in contact with the ground.

BHPian arun_112 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I returned from Velneshwar to Mumbai on 24-11-2024. I took the route via Chiplun-Khed-Poladpur-Mahad-Lonere-Mangaon-Sukeli-Pen-Khalapur-Mumbai Pune Expressway-Panvel-Powai.

64 Kms from Valneshwar there is Ashok Indianoil CNG that has good pressure. This is the only CNG pump in this area so it is important that the tank is filled without fail. Mostly cemented road but the surface is not smooth. It is like the Mumbai-Pune expressway but with a few rough patches.

I had stopped at Mahad and stayed at Kuber Residency, having a neat and clean vegetarian restaurant. My idea was to see Raigad fort at Mahad next early morning. As this hotel is on the highway with good parking, everything was easy and fast.

The next day I started by 6 am and it was dark as well as very thick fog. I could hardly see the road and it was a very dangerous situation. At one time my judgement went wrong and I thought that I was on the wrong side and driving on the right side, so I tried to cross the dividing line to come to the left side of the highway. Actually, this dividing line was on a cemented road level divider with the other road lower by 1 foot. My car jumped one foot down and the car base scratched with a sound. Later I got the car base checked at Honda and found a few scratches on lower arm and a few other places that were not harmful. So, not much damage.

As driving was becoming very difficult due to NIL visibility, I decided to return to Mumbai instead of climbing the Raigad fort hill. With very low speed I continued for an hour when the fog thinned and visibility became acceptable. Once I was on Mumbai Pune Expressway everything was fine.

Mahad to Sukheli road had many bad patches. Sukheli to Pen was a very bad patch and road construction was going on at many places. From Pen, I took Ransai-Khapoli road which again had bad patches. Khapoli to Mumbai was a good drive.

Mahad onwards there were many CNG pumps and restaurants.

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