Mumbai-Pune ‘Missing Link’ Project 90% Complete, Deadline Extended to June 2025
Super Highway: Mumbai-Pune Expressway Set for 10-Lane Upgrade to Tackle Soaring Traffic
The highly anticipated Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link, officially named the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (YCEW), is now 90% complete. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has announced that the project will be operational by June 2025, pushing back earlier deadlines of March 2024 and January 2025.
The Missing Link aims to enhance connectivity between Mumbai and Pune by addressing critical gaps in the current expressway, making it a zero-fatality corridor. The project involves constructing two eight-lane tunnels (1.75 km and 8.92 km), two viaducts (790 m and 650 m), cable-stayed bridges, culverts, and smaller bridges. Once completed, the new alignment will reduce the stretch between Khopoli exit and Sinhgad Institute from 19 km to 13.3 km, cutting travel time by 20–25 minutes.
However, the project has faced significant challenges, including high wind pressures and the construction of tunnels under Lonavala Lake, with a section lying 170 feet underground. Despite this, MSRDC has made substantial progress, with 94% of Package-I and major portions of Package-II already completed.
The current stretch of the expressway merges with NH-4, creating bottlenecks near the Khalapur Toll Plaza and Khandala exit, where traffic congestion and landslides often occur. These issues have led to increased travel times and higher accident risks, especially in the ghat section. The Missing Link is expected to resolve these problems by providing a safer and more efficient route, with smoother traffic flow and reduced congestion.
Costing approximately ₹6,695.37 crore, the Missing Link is expected to significantly improve connectivity between the two cities, making the Mumbai-Pune Expressway a more reliable and safer corridor.
