The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has announced that the highly anticipated Missing Link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will be operational by June 2025. Officially known as the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (YCEW), the Missing Link aims to bridge critical gaps in the current road network, ensuring seamless connectivity between the two cities.
The project has been divided into two execution packages. Package-I includes two eight-lane tunnels measuring 1.75 km and 8.92 km in length, while Package-II comprises two eight-lane viaducts spanning 790 m and 650 m.
"The work is 90% complete. We plan to complete the entire project and make it operational by June 2025," said Rajesh Patil, Joint Managing Director of MSRDC.
"The biggest challenge is we are working in a deep valley and we have to work at an height of 100 mtrs to 180 mtrs. We require eight Cantilever Form Travellers (CFTs) of more than 250 metric tonnes to be lifted and positioned at an height of 100 meters to undertake the work of superstructure of our cable stayed bridge," Patil added.
Previously, MSRDC reported that 94% of work on Package-I was finished, with significant progress being made on Package-II. The construction of the viaduct, along with the link, has faced challenges due to high wind pressure and other factors, causing delays.
The project includes two twin tunnels (1.75 km and 8.92 km), two cable-stayed bridges (770 m and 645 m), one small bridge, 11 pipe culverts, and two box culverts. Currently, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway section from Khopoli exit to Sinhgad Institute is 19 km long. This distance will be reduced to 13.3 km with the completion of the new link, decreasing the total length of the expressway by 6 km and cutting travel time by 20-25 minutes. The project's total cost is estimated at Rs 6,695.37 crore.
At present, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and NH-4 converge near Khalapur Toll Plaza and diverge near the Khandala exit. The section from Adoshi Tunnel to Khandala exit is a six-lane road, but it accommodates traffic from both the six-lane YCEW and four-lane NH-4, leading to congestion, especially during heavy traffic and landslides. This results in decreased speeds and increased travel time in this section, prompting drivers to speed up on the rest of the expressway, contributing to a higher number of accidents.
A feasibility study for the expressway suggested an alternate route for the entire ghat section. MSRDC appointed a technical advisory committee to review the detailed project report (DPR) submitted by the consultant. Based on the committee's suggestions, the alignment of the Missing Link and the DPR were approved, leading to the commencement of work on the project.
