Mumbai: Traffic on the Pune-Mumbai Connecting Link Road of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway's Missing Link project resumed at 10.10 pm on Monday, nearly 19 hours after a rain-triggered landslide near the entry of Tunnel 2 forced authorities to shut the corridor.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said vehicular movement was restored only after extensive debris removal, engineering inspections and safety assessments were completed to ensure the route was safe for commuters.
The landslide was reported at around 3 am after torrential overnight rainfall in the Lonavala region caused a portion of the hill slope to collapse near the tunnel entrance. While the debris was cleared after nearly 14 hours of continuous operations, authorities delayed reopening the road due to persistent heavy rainfall, strong winds, poor visibility and the need for detailed technical inspections.
According to MSRDC, teams worked throughout the day under challenging monsoon conditions to restore the affected stretch. Heavy machinery was deployed to clear the landslide debris, after which the carriageway was thoroughly cleaned using specialised equipment.
The corporation said technical experts conducted detailed inspections of Tunnel 2 and the adjoining hillside to verify that no loose rocks or unstable material remained that could endanger motorists. Drone surveys were also attempted, but dense fog, heavy rain and strong winds restricted aerial operations.
"Traffic has been restored only after all required safety and technical assessments were completed," MSRDC said in a statement, adding that the reopening followed exhaustive inspections rather than merely the completion of debris clearance.
Earlier in the day, MSRDC had stated that the tunnel itself was not damaged and that the collapse involved a protective hill slope structure outside the tunnel portal. Officials attributed the incident to exceptionally heavy rainfall that lashed the region overnight.
The agency also said the slope protection design had been prepared by IIT Bombay, with rock bolting carried out up to a height of around 15 metres, while the hill rises to nearly 150 metres. It added that IIT Bombay would be requested to reassess the affected slope and recommend additional stabilisation measures, if required.
The landslide coincided with widespread rain-related disruption across the Lonavala-Khalapur belt. Overflowing waters of the Patalganga River inundated parts of the expressway, further complicating restoration efforts.
According to the India Meteorological Department's Pune centre, Lonavala recorded around 670 mm of rainfall on Monday, among the highest rainfall totals recorded in the region this monsoon.
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