Pimpri-Chinchwad: The long-awaited Mumbai–Pune Expressway Missing Link was inaugurated on Friday in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. The event led to heavy traffic on the highway, causing delays and pushing the ceremony beyond its scheduled time.
The newly opened stretch between Khopoli and Kusgaon is 13 km long. It has been built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The project is expected to cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes. Officials said the route will help ease congestion and improve overall traffic flow.
Soon after the inauguration, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested a change in the name of the project. He said the term “missing link" should no longer be used. He appealed that the stretch should now be called the “connecting link". He said the new name better reflects its purpose of linking key sections of the expressway.
‘Mahayuti Government Took The Project Forward’
While speaking at the event, Fadnavis explained how the project evolved over the years. He said the idea was first proposed in 2010. Surveys and reports were later prepared. However, he claimed the previous government cited 13 reasons to stop the project from moving ahead. He said the current Mahayuti government took the project forward and resolved those issues.
Fadnavis added that the work saw support from seven countries. These countries contributed to different technical and engineering aspects of the project. He praised the engineers and officials for completing the complex construction.
Travel Stress To Reduce…
A major highlight of the project is a cable-stayed bridge built along the route. The bridge stands at a height of 182 metres. Officials said it is among the highest of its kind in the world. The structure has been built over a river and is seen as a major engineering achievement.
Authorities said the new route will help save fuel worth crores of rupees every day. It will also reduce travel stress for commuters. The government expects the Connecting Link to become a key upgrade to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway.
