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The travel time between Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik will soon be drastically reduced due to the development of new road links, making commuting between these cities quicker and more convenient. The Mumbai-Pune missing link project is expected to be operational by June this year, a senior Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) official said. The two major road infrastructure projects are near completion: (i) the Samruddhi Mahamarg and (ii) the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.
The 701-km-long Samruddhi Mahamarg, connecting Nagpur to Mumbai, has already massively decreased travel time between Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik, and Mumbai. Commuters traveling from Mumbai currently have to use the old Mumbai-Nashik highway to reach Igatpuri. However, the final 76-km stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, between Igatpuri and Amane (near Bhiwandi), is expected to be opened to traffic by March-end this year. This expressway will allow vehicles to bypass Kasara Ghat, renowned for traffic congestion and slow-moving vehicles (especially during monsoons), reducing traffic congestion on the old highway.
On the other hand, the much-anticipated Mumbai-Pune Expressway has reached its final stage, which is almost 90% complete. It will provide 19.8-kilometre-long tunnels from the Khopoli exit to Sinhagad Institute in Lonavala, eliminating traffic congestion in this section and significantly improving travel efficiency. This alternative route is set to decrease the Mumbai-Pune travel distance by 13.3 kilometers (travel time of 20-25 minutes).
A 130-meter-high, cable-stayed bridge is the key feature of this project and will be constructed as part of the new expressway section. This expressway features the widest twin tunnels in the world, with a width of 47 m and lengths of 1.75 km and 8.92 km. They are also under verification for a Guinness World Record. The tunnels will provide a direct and uninterrupted route through the ghat section, passing 150 m below Lonavala Lake.
Rajesh Patil, Joint Managing Director at MSRDC, said, "The project is almost completed and only the work on the cable-stayed bridge remains. That will be completed by August. So by August-end 2025, the missing link will start for operations." Furthermore, he added, "The travel time will go down by half an hour, primarily because the length will be reduced by 6 kilometres and the road will be almost straight, without any curves. This will save time. People will still have the option of using the existing road as it will be functional. However, hazard-carrying vehicles will have to use the ghat road. The rest can use the missing link."
