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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Missing Link on Mumbai–Pune Expressway: A Critical Infrastructure Push

Mumbai: The over 30-plus hour traffic jam on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway on Wednesday and Thursday, has once again underscored the urgent need for the long-pending “Missing Link” project — a strategic intervention aimed at eliminating chronic congestion, particularly along the vulnerable Khandala-Lonavala ghat stretch. The unprecedented disruption, triggered by an overturned gas tanker near the Adoshi tunnel, left thousands stranded for over a day and exposed deep structural bottlenecks in...

Missing Link on Mumbai–Pune Expressway: A Critical Infrastructure Push

Mumbai: The over 30-plus hour traffic jam on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway on Wednesday and Thursday, has once again underscored the urgent need for the long-pending “Missing Link” project — a strategic intervention aimed at eliminating chronic congestion, particularly along the vulnerable Khandala-Lonavala ghat stretch. The unprecedented disruption, triggered by an overturned gas tanker near the Adoshi tunnel, left thousands stranded for over a day and exposed deep structural bottlenecks in Maharashtra’s most vital intercity corridor. Chaos That Exposed Infrastructure Gaps The crisis illustrated how a single accident can paralyse the entire expressway for hours — or even days. Commuters reported limited emergency support, slow vehicle movement and widespread frustration as the traffic jam extended beyond 30 hours. Experts and transport planners argue that the existing ghat section remains highly vulnerable due to steep gradients, merging traffic streams and limited bypass options. Consequently, when accidents occur, there are few alternative alignments to divert vehicles, leading to cascading traffic failure across the corridor. Why the Missing Link Is a Structural Solution The 13-km-plus Missing Link project, being implemented by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), is designed precisely to address such systemic weaknesses. By bypassing accident-prone curves and congested mountain stretches, the project aims to reduce travel distance by about 6 km and save roughly 20–30 minutes under normal conditions — with even greater gains during peak congestion. The new alignment includes two major tunnels, cable-stayed bridges and modern viaducts engineered to allow smoother traffic flow while minimising landslide risks and bottlenecks. Urban mobility experts note that had the Missing Link been operational, a significant portion of traffic could have been diverted away from the accident site, potentially reducing the scale and duration of the recent gridlock. Current Project Status and Completion Outlook After multiple delays due to engineering challenges, weather conditions and complex terrain, MSRDC has pushed the completion target to early 2026, with tunnelling work largely finished and bridge construction nearing completion. Authorities have repeatedly emphasised that the project is nearing completion, with overall progress crossing the mid-90% mark in recent updates. Rajesh Patil, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said, " We will complete the project by April 2026 end. We have completed 97% of the project and only 3% of the work remains.” Strategic Implications for Mobility and Safety Once operational, the Missing Link is expected to significantly reduce congestion in the ghat section — historically the weakest link in the Mumbai–Pune transport ecosystem. The project will not only improve travel reliability but also enhance road safety by eliminating dangerous hairpin bends and steep inclines that contribute to accidents and frequent traffic standstills. In broader economic terms, smoother intercity mobility is crucial for logistics efficiency, tourism flows and industrial connectivity between Maharashtra’s two largest economic hubs. The traffic nightmare has reinforced a long-standing truth: Maharashtra’s busiest expressway cannot rely on legacy infrastructure alone. The Missing Link project is no longer just a capacity upgrade — it is an operational necessity to ensure resilience against accidents, disasters and surging traffic demand. With completion now targeted for April 2026, its timely commissioning will be critical in restoring commuter confidence, reducing systemic vulnerability and future-proofing one of India’s most strategically important highways.

Knives out in legislature

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Disha Salian

Mumbai: Death of celebrity manager Disha Salian in 2020 once again rocked the Maharashtra legislature on Thursday. While cabinet ministers Nitesh Rane and Shambhuraj Desai demanded that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray be arrested in the case, BJP MLA Amit Satam in the assembly and another BJP member Chitra Wagh in the council demanded that the report of SIT to probe Salian’s death be made public.


Incidentally, amidst repeated disruptions in both the houses, some members from the treasury benches were seen speaking in favour of Aditya Thackeray, while Shiv Sena (UBT) members like Adv Anil Parab were seen supporting the BJP members’ demand that the report of the SIT probe be made public. In addition, there were allegations and counter allegations and personal accusations among members from the treasury and opposition benches which led to heated debate on occasions.


The opposition termed the attempts from the treasury benches to link Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray’s name in the case, as a ‘conspiracy’.


“I think this matter has gone to the court. We have no idea what he (Disha’s father) has said, but Aaditya Thackeray is a mature leader, a young leader. The Bharatiya Janata Party is conspiring to defame him by putting pressure on him. We don’t need to answer to this conspiracy. The court will answer,” Ambadas Danve said.


Earlier in the day, when the house gathered for the business, Minister of State for Home appraised the assembly of the status in this case. “SIT has been formed to probe in the case. Their report has not been received as yet. However, the government shall act according to directives from the court,” the minister told the house.


Another BJP minister Nitesh Rane, however, said that since Satish Salian has levelled allegations against an MVA minister, that leader be treated like a common person and that everybody should be treated equally before the law. Shiv Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai too supported the demand. “Since the allegations are grave, the person in question should be immediately arrested and the case be investigated,” he said.


Later, while speaking to media in the legislature premises, Rane asked Uddhav Thackeray to come clean on the issue. “If they say that we are politicizing the issue, Uddhav Thackeray should also tell the people why he had called, not just once but twice, to the then union minister Narayan Rane urging him to save his son?” Rane said.


He also accused the opposition of shying away from coming clean on the issue. “If they feel that we are not telling the truth, they should say so in the house. But they are shying away from doing so. Bhaskar Jadhav, who is always aggressive, was nowhere to be seen when this issue came up in the house. Sunil Prabhu too escaped the house under the pretext of a phone call. I challenge them to say that whatever I said on the issue is wrong,” Rane said.


He also said that Aditya Thackeray should resign on moral grounds till his name is cleared in the case.


BJP MLA Amit Satam demanded that the details of the SIT probe be made public so that the people would know if the probe is headed in right direction.


Interestingly, while the ruling parties were targeting the opposition in the case, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar surprised all with his unexpected support to Thackerays. “I do not have any evidences in the case. But if her father has made any fresh allegations that needs to be investigated thoroughly. The assembly can discuss the issue at length tomorrow. In the meanwhile, members like Rane, who seem to have some evidences in the case should hand them over to the investigating agencies and help the probe,” he told the house.


Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Gaikwad and Sheetal Mhatre too toed the line and demanded that more and more evidences should come forth.


Similarly, when members of treasury benches were pushing for revealing the details of the probe till date to the public, Shiv Sena (UBT) member Anil Parab supported the demand. “Doing that shall conclusively prove the innocence of Aditya Thackeray,” he said.

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