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Regular commuters will agree that it's beyond high time that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway got a long-awaited upgrade. Seven years after construction first began, the ‘Missing Link’ bridge is set to on Friday, May 1 – initially, though, only to Phase 1 vehicles.
The great news is that the new route will reportedly reduce commute times by 25 to 30 minutes on one of Maharashtra’s busiest transport routes.
What is it?
The bridge is a 13.3 km stretch constructed to ease travel for the more than 1.5 lakh vehicles using the Mumbai-Pune expressway daily.
Described as an ‘engineering marvel’ by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the ‘Missing Link’ connects Khopoli to Kusgaon, circumventing the accident-prone Bhor Ghat (or Khandala Ghat). It replaces the current 19 km stretch of sharp turns and traffic bottlenecks by almost 6 km, cutting through the Sahyadri range with two eight-lane tunnels and viaducts.
A notable characteristic of the ‘Missing Link’ is its new 650-metre tall viaduct, making it India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge. The entire project cost ₹6,695 crores to build, and will be inaugurated on the first of the month after seven years of construction.
Who can use it?
Starting from May 1, only light motor vehicles can use the ‘Missing Link’ as part of Phase 1 of the opening. That includes cars, SUVs, passenger buses, and other passenger-only transport vehicles. Until the end of Phase 1, slated to be October 31, 2026, two-wheelers are not allowed on the stretch.
Phase 2 is set to start November 2026, which will then permit goods vehicles after six months of safety and traffic reviews. Vehicles carrying flammable materials are strictly prohibited from using the stretch.
Keep in mind
There is no additional toll charge for using the ‘Missing Link’. Safety features such as 24x7 CCTV surveillance, SOS panic buttons every 250 metres, and strict speed limits of 100km/h for cars and 80km/h for buses have been implemented on the stretch.