In good news for people travelling on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the missing link work is expected to be completed by this December.
Once it is opened to the public, the "missing link" is expected to reduce the Mumbai-Pune travel distance by 13.3 kilometres and cut travel time by 20–25 minutes. Additionally, with fewer hills to navigate, drivers will be able to travel at speeds of up to 120 km per hour.
A Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) official told that the Mumbai-Pune missing link project is progressing quickly and is expected to be completed by December, with a 45-storey-high cable-stayed bridge as its most challenging part.
Know about the project:
The project includes an 840-metre viaduct, a 1.75-kilometre tunnel, and a 650-metre cable-stayed bridge above the Tiger Valley in the Lonavala-Khandala section. The route continues through another 8.9-kilometre tunnel, portions of which run 170 feet below Lonavala Lake.
Deadline extended several times
The project, estimated at ₹6,600 crore, has seen its deadline extended several times. At first, it was set to open in March 2024. The deadline was subsequently pushed to January 2025, March 2025, June 2025, and August 2025. Now, the deadline has been revised to September 2025.
In March this year, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the project would be completed by August 2025, adding that it will save both travel time and fuel, and will also help mitigate and reduce traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
