NEC Records Breakthrough on Mumbai-Pune Missing Link Project

Navayuga Engineering Company (NEC) last Wednesday recorded the second tunnel breakthrough for Mumbai Pune Expressway’s 13.3 km ‘Missing Link’ project.

This milestone is the first of two breakthroughs planned for Tunnel-2 LHS and marks the completion of 4177m of tunneling which is being done through controlled blasting.

Photo via Prem Aggarwal

This project by MSRDC will link Khopoli and Kusgaon on the existing expressway via a new 8 lane alignment bypassing Khandala Ghat’s hairpin turns. It will reduce the distance between both cities by 6 km, reduce travel time by 25 minutes, and provide a straighter route.

The project comprises of two twin tunnels (1.75 km & 8.92 km), two cable stayed bridges (770m & 645m), and more – see details & video overview here.

Breakthrough!Photo via Prem Aggarwal
Photo via Prem Aggarwal

A similar breakthrough was recorded on October 26 for Tunnel-2 RHS. With a width of 23.5m, these tunnels are the widest in India and among the widest in Asia.

Navayuga Engineering Company is being guided by Geodata S.pA and Louis Berger as the EPC / General Consultants – see a list of contractors here.

For more updates, check out the Expressway section or my Home Page! Sign up for free instant email notifications on new posts over here. Like this post? See how you can get early-access to updates and support the site over here.

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

15 Responses to "NEC Records Breakthrough on Mumbai-Pune Missing Link Project"

  1. CK says:

    Cool!
    How are there two breakthroughs on a single tunnel? I always thought they start working from both ends and achieve a breakthrough when both sides meet each other.

    What’s the status of the shorter tunnel T-1?
    And the plans for the viaduct in between the two tunnels? From design images, it looks like a cable stayed structure similar to the Zuari bridge, except with one ‘tower’ instead of two. I’ve seen a recent video showing decent progress of the pier work for the first viaduct (Mumbai side), but no updates at all of the one between.

    Reply
    • Snowfox says:

      There are two tunnels of 4 lanes each. One for Mumbai towards Pune direction and other for the opposite direction.

      Reply
    • Kash says:

      It seems you are interested and asking a lot of things, file an RTI or go and talk to enginers there, ranting here will not serve any purpose

      Reply
    • CK says:

      Not ranting, just curious.
      Looking at the middle viaduct portion, it looks so far away and remote, I wonder if they’ll even be able to start working on that, properly, till the tunnels get built, just to get access to that area. (That viaduct part is Afcons work, and I have great expectations from them, given how rapidly they’ve started working on Pune Metro’s Reach 3 stations in the last one year, compared to the Reach 2 contractor.)

      NEC is also doing the last two packages of the Nagpur Expressway, in Thane/Palghar, so they must be good.

      Reply
    • TMRG says:

      From my understanding, a mid-shaft has been constructed. That’s how 2 breakthroughs are being made on the same tunnel.

      Viaduct design work, geotechnical etc. was time consuming. Pier work is underway. Beyond that I don’t have anything to share.

      Reply
  2. AK says:

    How good is Navayuga in terms of work quality..? Flyover constructed by them on bangalore Nelamangala stretch has been closed since one month for repairs because of faulty cables.

    Reply
  3. Parikshit Rao says:

    Everything said and done.
    It used to take 4 hours from Mumbai to Pune or the other way round 20 years ago and even now.
    I am wondering if this Express Highways or these break throughs have actually helped.

    Reply
  4. Mangesh says:

    More time is spent in waiting at toll plaza and food mart currently..

    Reply
  5. sunil chohan says:

    Major problems in tunnels in indis not adequate lighting and pot holes not repaired.

    Reply
  6. Narpat Dewasi says:

    Nice

    Reply
  7. Sunil says:

    When is the State Government going to provide proper airport, Ring road & metro to Puneities?

    Reply
  8. Mumbai Pune taxi says:

    It seems you are interested and asking a lot of things,

    Reply

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