Palghar: Thousands of motorists and passengers remained stranded for several hours on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway on Friday after heavy rainfall in Palghar district and neighbouring Gujarat triggered severe traffic congestion.Floodwaters from the swollen Daman Ganga River inundated parts of the highway, bringing traffic to a complete halt and leaving vehicles stranded on both sides of the Maharashtra-Gujarat border.After rainfall subsided past midnight, a large number of vehicles that had been parked along the highway resumed their journey simultaneously, worsening the traffic situation. Traffic on the Gujarat-bound carriageway came to a standstill from around 5.30 am, with long queues of vehicles stretching from Achhad to Manor in Palghar district.The congestion was further aggravated by ongoing flyover construction work at Vivalvedhe, where traffic was diverted through a service road, creating a major bottleneck.Motorists caught in the gridlock described the situation as extremely distressing. Many said they earlier halted their vehicles along the roadside as a precaution during the heavy rain but found no access to food or accommodation at nearby hotels or roadside eateries. When they resumed their journey after the rains eased, they found themselves trapped in an hours-long traffic jam.Several drivers said they were without food and drinking water for 12 to 15 hours. The situation proved particularly difficult for families travelling with children, women and senior citizens in private vehicles.Local police and highway police personnel were deployed to regulate traffic and clear the congestion. By around 3 pm, traffic movement on the Mumbai-bound carriageway had improved partially, and vehicles were slowly moving up to Dapchari.Authorities said traffic was expected to return to normal by late evening.