Goodbye, Lonavala Traffic! The Missing Link Opens April 2026

Nearly 24 years after the Mumbai-Pune Expressway opened, the long-awaited “Missing Link” project is approaching completion.

Designed to ease congestion and reduce travel time between the two cities, the project is expected to be operational by April 1, 2026. Once complete, it will shorten the expressway by nearly 6 km and cut journey times by up to 25 minutes. The ₹6,695.37 crore project, led by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), focuses on the heavily congested stretch between Khalapur and Lonavala and is now 94 percent complete. Key milestones include the construction of two tunnels, two major bridges, and a cable-stayed bridge that is nearing completion.

MSRDC officials noted, “The revised timeline reflects the complexity of the terrain and challenging working conditions.” The upgraded stretch features an 8-lane alignment with widened sections, promising significantly smoother traffic flow once operational.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.