• Source:JND
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Pune-Mumbai Expressway Missing Link: The Pune-Mumbai Expressway’s 'missing link' project is likely to be opened to the public by November or December this year, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday. Once ready, the new route is expected to reduce travel time between Pune and Navi Mumbai Airport to just 90 minutes.

Fadnavis, who was in Pune to unveil the one-year performance report of city MP and Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, visited the construction sites of both the missing link and Navi Mumbai airport before the event. Speaking to reporters, he said the expressway upgrade would ease the regular traffic congestion experienced in the ghat sections near Lonavla and Khandala.

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According to a Hindustan Times report, the 13.3 km missing link is being developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and has already reached 94 per cent completion. The stretch will bypass the heavily congested ghat region and includes several unique features, according to officials.

“This link is not just another road. It includes India’s longest urban tunnel at 9.1 km, with a width of 23 metres and a viaduct that rises 180 metres—making it the tallest in the country,” said Fadnavis, describing the project as an “engineering marvel” that has set three world records.

Though the stretch is relatively short, he noted, it would help save at least 30 minutes of travel time for those commuting between Pune and Mumbai.

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Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad also reviewed the site during the inspection.

Fadnavis further assured that a separate international airport for Pune remains on the government’s agenda. While the Navi Mumbai Airport is expected to reduce some of the burden for now, the state government will fulfil its promise of delivering a dedicated airport for the city, he said, highlighting Pune’s growing demand and future development potential.