Mumbai: A major landslide occurred on the 'Missing Link' section of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway near the Khandala exit early Monday morning, forcing authorities to completely shut the Mumbai-bound carriageway amid extremely heavy rainfall in the region.
The landslide took place near the exit of Tunnel 2 on the Pune-to-Mumbai lane of the newly inaugurated Missing Link corridor after a portion of the hillside collapsed due to continuous rain. Massive flow of mud, rocks and water was seen gushing near the tunnel exit, prompting immediate traffic diversion as a safety measure.
Visuals from the spot showed vehicles turning around after reaching the affected stretch, while morning footage captured JCB machines and emergency teams clearing debris and attempting to restore traffic movement on the route. According to preliminary information, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
MSRDC Issues Statement
In an official statement posted on X, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said, “A landslide occurred near Tunnel 2 exit on the Pune to Mumbai lane of the Pune–Mumbai Connecting Link Road amid extremely heavy rainfall. For safety reasons, traffic has been diverted since 4 am.”
The MSRDC added that the situation is being constantly monitored in coordination with the Highway Traffic Police and advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel until conditions improve.
The 13-km Mumbai–Pune Expressway Missing Link project, which became operational around two months ago, was designed to reduce travel distance by nearly 6 km and cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes by bypassing the ghat section through tunnels and bridges across the Sahyadri ranges.
Massive Traffic Jam On Old Lonavala-Khandala Route
However, the landslide triggered massive traffic congestion on alternative routes after vehicles were diverted through the older Lonavala-Khandala stretch. Several commuters reported being stranded in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours. A motorist travelling from Sangli towards Mumbai told PTI that traffic came to a standstill near Lonavala after the diversion was implemented around 4 am.
Meanwhile, Highway Traffic Police officials confirmed that movement on the Khandala Ghat section of the expressway has also been affected due to heavy waterlogging and ongoing rain-triggered landslide activity. Authorities continue restoration work at the affected site while monitoring weather conditions closely as heavy rainfall persists across the Western Ghats region.
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