The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will inaugurate a new Rs 6,695.37-crore link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway between Khalapur and Lonavala on April 1, 2026. This project features a cable-stayed bridge and two tunnels, reducing the expressway length by 6 km and cutting commute time by 25 minutes.
The new link aims to ease heavy traffic and congestion near Lonavala and Khandala, especially on weekends and holidays. The existing expressway has been widened from six to eight lanes over a 5.86-km stretch between Khalapur toll plaza and Khopoli exit, along with a new 13.3-km eight-lane alignment between Khopoli exit and Kusgaon near Sinhagad Institute.
The project includes tunnels measuring 1.68 km and 8.87 km, and two bridges spanning 900 meters and 650 meters. Once complete, the distance between Khopoli and Sinhagad Institute will reduce from 19 km to 13.3 km.
Initially expected to finish in January 2026, the project faced delays due to complex terrain and weather, pushing the deadline to April 2026. MSRDC states that 98.8% of the work is done, with testing and commissioning ongoing. One bridge is complete, and the second bridge’s construction is nearly 90% finished. Expansion work on the Khalapur toll plaza continues.
The project was approved in August 2018 by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Infrastructure.
Source: The Free Press Journal
