The long-delayed Missing Link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is now 98% complete and is scheduled to be inaugurated on 1 May, marking a major milestone for one of Maharashtra’s largest road infrastructure ventures.
Rajesh Patil, Joint Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), stated yesterday that only 15 metres of construction work is pending on the Mumbai-bound side and six metres on the Pune-bound side of the cable-stayed bridge.
Tanaji Chikhale, Superintendent of Police, Highway Traffic, Raigad, who has been reviewing the progress jointly with MSRDC officials, also endorsed the proposed schedule.
Officials said the core construction work is in its concluding phase and is likely to be wrapped up within the stipulated deadline. Once structural work is completed, the project will move into finishing stages.
Authorities expect seamless connectivity across the bridge by 10 March, enabling vehicles to pass through the entire stretch. Subsequent activities will include finishing touches, load assessments and safety audits before the road is made operational for the public.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLC Milind Narvekar has appealed to the state government to impose a permanent restriction on vehicles transporting fuel, chemicals and other inflammable substances along the new alignment, citing safety concerns in the tunnel sections.
His demand follows a 32-hour traffic disruption on 4 February 2026, when a propylene gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi tunnel, bringing traffic to a halt and stranding thousands of commuters without access to basic supplies.
The 13.3-kilometre Missing Link project, built at an estimated cost of Rs 6,600 crore, will completely bypass the challenging Khandala Ghat stretch. The new route will shorten the journey by six kilometres and is projected to save 25 to 30 minutes of travel time.
The alignment includes two tunnels measuring 1.68 kilometres and 8.9 kilometres, both fully excavated. The longer tunnel is counted among the widest in Asia. A 650-metre cable-stayed bridge at Tiger Valley, rising 180 metres, is also part of the project.
Safety infrastructure includes water mist fire systems, intelligent traffic control, CCTV surveillance, SOS points, ventilation units and voice evacuation mechanisms.
Trial runs are planned for April. Chikhale noted that if technical issues arise, the Pune-bound lane may be opened initially to ease congestion, even if the full corridor is not immediately operational.
Source: Swarajya
