Mumbai, Dec 08: More than 360 years after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legendary victory against the Mughals at the Battle of Umbarkhind, the same Sahyadri mountains are witnessing a new kind of battle — one fought not with swords, but with steel, cables, and concrete against factors like summer, wind, rain, altitude, and time.
Bridge Rises Where Shivaji Maharaj Once Defeated Mughal Army
Near the quiet village of Chaavani in Khalapur, Raigad, Maratha Warrior King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his few hundred Mavalas once outsmarted the 30,000-strong army of Mughals.
Near the same place, the engineers from Afcons Infrastructure, drawing inspiration from the history, are building India’s highest road cable-stayed bridge, rising 132 metres above ground as part of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link Project.
Project to Reduce Travel Time by 25 Minutes
"Once complete, the Missing Link Project will bypass the Khandala Ghat section and will reduce the distance of the expressway by over six kilometres, reducing travel time by more than 25 minutes," said an official.
Sahyadri Terrain Makes Construction Extremely Challenging
But the journey to completion hasn’t been easy. The bridge, which will be completed in 2026, is being built in the Sahyadri region, which is challenging and historic, with the Sahyadri range presenting extraordinary difficulties.
Narrow ridges leave no room for heavy machinery. Wind speeds can lead from a gentle breeze to a violent 100 km/h blast in minutes. During monsoon, rainfall turns the cliffs into cascading sheets of water, halting work instantly. Fog rolls in without warning, reducing visibility to a few metres.
Engineers Working at Heights With Advanced Tech and Precision
"Working at such heights, construction activities, welding and segment lifting require extraordinary precision, courage and patience. Engineers and workers, often positioned on narrow ledges above deep valleys, operate with world-class safety and quality standards and advanced construction methodologies to maintain both speed and accuracy," further added the official.
Project Details: Tunnels, Viaducts and Expansion of Expressway
The Mumbai–Pune Expressway Missing Link Project is divided into two packages. Package I includes two eight-lane tunnels measuring 1.75 km and 8.92 km. Package II comprises two eight-lane viaducts, 850 metres and 650 metres long, along with the widening of the expressway from six to eight lanes over 5.86 km, and the construction of over 10 km of approach and slip roads.
India’s Tallest Road Cable-Stayed Bridge Under Construction
Package II, which includes the 650-metre-long viaduct, will feature India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge and is being executed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. At the 650 m viaduct, engineers are constructing 182-metre (597 feet) high pylons, taller than the 128-metre (413 feet) pylons of the Bandra–Worli Sea Link, and the highest ever bridge built for an Indian road project.
Self-Climbing Shuttering System Used for Pylons
The construction of the pylon shaft was carried out upward using a self-climbing shuttering system, defying gravity and the strong winds of the Sahyadris. For building the deck segments, four tower cranes at a height of 182 metres work together with eight 350-ton cantilever form travellers (CFTs).
Advancing gradually through open space, they construct the bridge’s deck segments one by one. The 182-metre pylons visible from afar will form part of a bridge rising over a deep valley, and therefore each deck segment is being built with exceptional precision.
Historic Terrain Once Helped Shivaji—Now Engineers Conquer It With Steel
The Sahyadris, once Shivaji Maharaj’s ally in battle, now challenge the ingenuity of modern India’s engineers. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj won the battle using terrain through strategy, while the engineers are conquering it through engineering structure.
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Project at a Glance
. Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link Project (Package-II)
. Bridge height: 132 metres (India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge)
. Tallest pylon: 182 metres
. Viaduct I length: 850 metres
. Viaduct II (cable-stayed) length: 650 metres
. Expressway widening: From 6 to 8 lanes over 5.86 km
. Approach roads: 10.2 km
Project benefits:
• Reduces distance by 6 km
• Cuts travel time by 25 minutes
• Lowers fuel use and emissions
• Safer, smoother, more fuel-efficient travel to over 1.5 lakh commuters daily
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