Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s Missing Link Project Faces Another Deadline Extension to August 2025

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Pune, 17th January 2025: The missing link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has been delayed once again, with the new deadline set for August 2025. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) revealed that 92% of the work on the Rs 6,695-crore project has been completed so far.

Anilkumar Gaikwad, the vice-chairman and managing director of MSRDC, provided an update on the progress during a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis this week. “Out of the 13 km missing link, 12.4 km have been completed. The remaining work is focused on constructing the cable-stayed bridge near Tiger Valley in Lonavala. The four pylons for this bridge will rise to a height of 180 meters, and while the superstructure is almost complete, we are proceeding with caution,” Gaikwad explained.

The Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (YCEW) project has faced multiple deadline extensions. Initially set for completion by March 2024, the project was then revised to January 2025 and is now expected to be finished by August 2025.

Once completed, the expressway will significantly reduce the travel time between Khopoli and Sinhgad Institute by over 6 km, saving motorists approximately 25 minutes compared to the current route that passes through the ghat section.

The project is divided into two phases. Phase-I involves the eight-laning of two tunnels, measuring 1.75 km and 8.92 km. Phase-II includes the eight-laning of two viaducts, spanning 790 meters and 650 meters. While tunneling work has been completed, officials pointed out that constructing the viaducts has been particularly challenging due to extreme wind pressure at nearly 100 meters in height.

“The viaduct work is particularly demanding because of the wind pressure at such a high elevation. While this has slowed progress in Phase-II, work is now proceeding at full speed,” said an official familiar with the project.

The primary aim of the missing link project is to de-congest the vulnerable stretch between the Adoshi Tunnel and the Khandala exit, where the 10-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway merges with the four-lane NH-4. It is expected that 85% of the current traffic on the expressway will use the new route once it is operational.

However, daily commuters have expressed frustration over the delays. “There is no relief during holiday periods, when traffic jams stretch for kilometers on this section of the expressway,” said Darshan Kothari, a frequent traveler on the route.

“Construction on the missing link is facing significant challenges, particularly the cable-stayed bridge that will rise nearly 100 meters above Khandala Valley,” an official added, choosing to remain anonymous.

In addition to the missing link project, MSRDC’s long-pending proposal to widen the expressway has yet to receive administrative approval, largely due to delays related to the election process. The proposal, which aims to add one lane in each direction to ease traffic congestion, was submitted several months ago.

Currently, the route has three lanes each towards Mumbai and Pune, but with rising traffic volume, the widening project is seen as essential. The expansion would require approximately 100 hectares of land and is expected to take three years to complete once approved. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 5,000-6,000 crore.

“The state government has allocated funds for some ongoing projects, and this widening plan might be taken up in the next phase,” said an official familiar with the matter.