Engineering an Icon: ₹6,695-Crore Missing Link Nears Finish Line

The long-delayed ‘Missing Link’ project on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway is now 98 percent complete, with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) targeting its inauguration on May 1, coinciding with Maharashtra Day.

According to MSRDC officials, the civil works deadline of April 30 is expected to be met despite earlier delays caused by geographical and technical challenges. Authorities stated that traffic will be permitted only after all safety standards and load tests are completed. As of March 3, only two percent of the work remains, with the Pune-bound carriageway already completed and minor works pending on the Mumbai-bound side. Trial runs and safety clearances are planned for late April.

The ₹6,695-crore project, connecting Khopoli and Kusgaon, is designed to bypass the traffic-prone Khandala–Lonavala ghat section. The new alignment will shorten the existing 19.8-km stretch by more than six kilometres and reduce travel time by 25–30 minutes.

The route begins with a 900-metre viaduct at Khopoli, followed by a 1.64-km tunnel and a 650-metre cable-stayed bridge across Tiger Valley, which will be India’s tallest road bridge. It then continues through a 9-km tunnel before emerging at Kusgaon, creating a new four-lane corridor that will significantly enhance capacity and ease congestion along the existing ghat section.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.