‘Connecting Link’: CM Fadnavis commissions ‘missing link’ project on Mumbai-Pune expressway

Mumbai: The ambitious ‘Missing Link’ project on the Mumbai–Pune Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway, expected to significantly cut travel time between the two cities, was commissioned by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, coinciding with Maharashtra Day and International Workers’ Day.

Fadnavis remarked that the project should now be called a “Connecting Link,” as the earlier gaps in the expressway have been bridged. “Earlier, we used to call it a ‘Missing Link,’ but now it would be more appropriate to call it a ‘Connecting Link’… nothing is missing now… everything is in place,” he said.

The inauguration took place at Khalapur in Raigad district. Fadnavis later drove an SUV on the Lonavala-bound carriageway, with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seated beside him. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was also present.

Executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, the project is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune by about 30 minutes. The expressway itself was opened in phases in 2002.

Originally planned in 1996–97, the 13.30-km ‘Missing Link’ between Khalapur and Kusgaon (Sinhgad Institute) could not be completed due to financial and technical constraints. As a result, a 19-km stretch of the old Mumbai–Pune National Highway No. 4 was widened and used as a shared corridor.

The existing stretch between Adoshi Tunnel and Khandala Exit carries a combined ten lanes of traffic—six from the expressway and four from the state highway. Due to steep gradients and frequent monsoon landslides, one lane towards Mumbai often had to be shut for safety.

To address these challenges, a new 19.16-km corridor has been developed. This includes a widened 5.86-km, eight-lane stretch between Khalapur and Khopoli Interchange, along with a 13.30-km section featuring two tunnels and two viaducts.

Engineering highlights

The project’s two tunnels were constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), each with a width of 23.5 metres—an engineering challenge in the Sahyadri ranges. Tunnel 1 is 1.58 km long, while Tunnel 2 stretches 8.86 km and runs about 180 metres below the Lonavala Lake level.

A key highlight is the 650-metre cable-stayed bridge in Tiger Valley, built at a height of nearly 125 metres. The bridge features two pylons rising 182 metres and is supported by 240 stay cables. It underwent advanced international testing, including wind tunnel, fatigue, tensile, and cable performance tests.

No toll hike

No toll hike has been proposed in connection with the project, including at the Khalapur toll plaza. Initially, only light motor vehicles and buses will be allowed on the new stretch, while heavy vehicles will continue to use the existing ghat route for safety reasons.

Traffic chaos during inauguration

Meanwhile, hundreds of commuters were caught in massive traffic jams due to arrangements for the inaugural function. Among them was NCP (SP) Working President and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, who was travelling to Pune for a Maharashtra Day event.

Sule shared a video showing long queues of vehicles, stating she had been stuck for nearly two hours. “It has been two hours that we are stuck at one place,” she said.

Fadnavis later apologised for the inconvenience caused to commuters.