• Source:JND
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Travellers on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway may soon have a faster and smoother journey, with the much-awaited "missing link" project likely to be completed by December this year, according to officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

According to a Free Press Journal report, the new route is expected to reduce the travel distance by 13.3 kilometres and cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 20 to 25 minutes. Once operational, the route will allow vehicles to cruise at speeds of up to 120 kmph, due to a straighter alignment and fewer turns in the hilly Lonavala-Khandala stretch.

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Key Engineering Highlights

The missing link includes several major engineering features. Among them is a 650-metre-long cable-stayed bridge, which will rise to the height of a 45-storey building over Tiger Valley. The project also consists of an 840-metre viaduct, a 1.75-kilometre tunnel and another tunnel stretching 8.9 kilometres—parts of which run as deep as 170 feet under Lonavala Lake.

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Cost and Repeated Delays

Originally estimated at Rs 6,600 crore, the project has faced several delays since its initial deadline. The opening date was first set for March 2024, but has since been extended multiple times, including to January, March, June and August 2025. Most recently, officials pushed the deadline to September 2025. However, the MSRDC now hopes to complete the work by the end of 2025, with major components expected to be ready by this December.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had earlier stated that the project would ease congestion, reduce fuel usage, and significantly improve road safety. Once complete, the missing link is expected to be a major infrastructure upgrade to one of Maharashtra’s busiest routes.