Building Pune: ‘Missing link’ project to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune likely to get delayed again

As per the official, work is on for a cable-stayed bridge, “and it has to be done correctly, keeping in mind the safety concerns of commuters.”

Rakesh Sonawane, Executive Engineer, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), said, “The early onset of monsoon this year and the consequent heavy rain have affected the speed of the project, which is in the last stages of completion.”

On the contractor’s demand for extension of the deadline, he said, “We will scrutinise it.”

The ‘missing link’ project will reduce the travel time between the two cities by half an hour and the distance by over six kilometres. The 13.3-km road project, which is likely to be ready in another eight months, would save Rs 1 crore of fuel every day and will have Asia’s widest tunnel.

The existing Mumbai-Pune expressway section from Khopoli exit to Sinhgad Institute in Kusgaon spans 19.8 km, and passes through the hill town of Lonavala. However, the missing link project will reduce this distance to 13.3 km – as it cuts across the hill through two tunnels measuring 8.9 km and 1.7 km, respectively. The project also encompasses two bridges of 840 metres and 650 metres in length.

The work on both tunnels is complete, and the construction of a bridge is complete, while the work on the 840-metre-long cable-stayed bridge is nearing completion.

The Mumbai-Pune expressway was constructed two decades ago and has been witnessing an increase in traffic every year. In addition to saving travel time between Mumbai and Pune, Sonawane said the new route would reduce the wear and tear of vehicles and help commuters avoid fatigue.

According to MSRDC, the ‘missing link’ tunnels are 23.30 metres wide with four lanes and one emergency lane. Also, the 650-metre bridge is one of the tallest in the country.

The Rs 6,595-crore road project was started in 2019 and was to be completed in 2022, but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.