Mumbai–Pune Expressway Missing Link Targeted for May 2026 Opening, Cable Bridge Remains Final Hurdle
Pune–Mumbai Expressway Missing Link Targeted for May 2026 Opening, Cable Bridge Remains Final Hurdle
Lonavala | February 7, 2026 – The long-pending Missing Link project on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway is now expected to open for public use by May 2026, offering major relief to daily commuters. Officials from Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation confirmed that while most of the corridor is ready, completion of the massive cable-stayed bridge remains the key factor determining the final opening date.
The 13.3-km Missing Link, connecting the Khopoli exit to Kusgaon, is over 95 percent complete. However, construction of the 130-metre-high cable-stayed bridge near Adoshi, touted as the tallest of its kind in Asia, has faced engineering and terrain-related challenges. MSRDC officials now say structural and slab work is in its final stages and the bridge is expected to be completed by April 2026, followed by safety checks and traffic trials.
The urgency of the project was underlined recently when a gas tanker overturned near Adoshi, triggering a 32-hour-long traffic jam on the expressway. The incident once again exposed the vulnerability of the existing Bor Ghat stretch, especially the Adoshi tunnel to Khandala exit section, where traffic from ten lanes funnels into six lanes on steep gradients. During monsoon months, landslides and lane closures further choke this already stressed stretch.
Once operational, the Missing Link will bypass the accident-prone and winding six-kilometre Bor Ghat section entirely. The project features an eight-lane expressway, two major tunnels, and two long viaducts. The one-kilometre tunnel for Mumbai–Pune traffic and the nine-kilometre tunnel for Pune–Mumbai traffic have already been completed and are undergoing final finishing works.
Officials say that if weather conditions remain favourable and no further technical issues arise, commuters can expect smoother and faster travel between Pune and Mumbai by early summer. Until then, authorities have advised motorists to plan for delays, particularly during peak hours and weekends.
