A 48-year-old police constable was killed after a piling rig collapsed near Vashi Bridge on Tuesday night, but traffic police said the massive gridlock that paralysed the Sion-Panvel corridor over the next two days was primarily caused by ongoing roadwork and lane diversions near Mankhurd.

Officials from the Mankhurd traffic division said the collapse, which took place around 10.30 pm on April 28, did not directly lead to the prolonged congestion seen on Wednesday and Thursday. “Traffic built up due to lane narrowing and diversions for roadwork on both Mumbai- and Vashi-bound sides. During peak hours, this created a major bottleneck,” an officer said.