Mumbai–Pune Expressway Missing Link 98% Complete, Opening Likely on May 1
Lonavala, 5th March 2026: The long-awaited ‘missing link’ corridor on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway is almost complete, with around 98 percent of the work finished. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is targeting May 1 for the opening of the stretch, provided all mandatory safety procedures are completed.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the remaining civil work is expected to be completed by April 30. He stated that although construction will conclude by the end of the month, traffic will be allowed only after the required safety inspections and load tests are successfully conducted.
The infrastructure project, built at a cost of approximately ₹6,695 crore, will connect Khopoli to Kusgaon and bypass the accident-prone Khandala–Lonavala ghat section of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway. The new alignment will reduce the existing 19.8-km route by more than six kilometres and is expected to cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune by around 25 to 30 minutes.
The project includes several major engineering features such as a 900-metre viaduct, a 1.64-km tunnel and a 650-metre cable-stayed bridge across Tiger Valley, which is considered the tallest road bridge of its kind in India. The corridor will also include a nearly nine-kilometre-long tunnel that will emerge near Kusgaon.
The significance of the new corridor became evident earlier this year when a tanker accident near Khopoli triggered massive traffic congestion on the expressway. Officials believe the new four-lane route will help ease such situations by allowing light vehicles to bypass the steep ghat section where heavy vehicles often slow down traffic.
Highway police officials said the missing link will serve as an important alternative route during emergencies and traffic disruptions on the expressway. Final trial runs and safety clearances are expected later this month, and officials have reiterated that the project will be completed within the current timeline.
