Long-Awaited Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘Missing Link’ To Open On May 1

The long-awaited “missing link” on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will be inaugurated on May 1, 2026. The project developed by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) cost Rs 6,695 crore. It includes two tunnels, high viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. Officials said the project comprises two eight-lane tunnels measuring 1.75 km and 8.92 km, along with two viaducts of 850 metres and 650 metres. The route has been designed to bypass the old Khandala ghat section, which has long been a traffic bottleneck and a safety concern. Officials said only light motor vehicles and buses will be allowed on the new stretch in the initial phase in order to decongest the existing ghat section. A key feature of the project is the 650-metre viaduct, which officials described as India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge. Its pylons rise to 182 metres, taller than those on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.