Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s Missing Link – Information & Status Update

Mumbai Pune Expressway’s 13.3 km ‘Missing Link’ project by MSRDC is an under construction 8 lane access-controlled highway with a route alignment connecting Khopoli to Kusgaon.

The link with a string of viaducts, tunnels and bridges aims to bypass Khandala Ghat’s hairpin turns which are prone to landslides, reduce distance by 6 km, reduce travel time by 25 minutes, and provide a straighter route.

The project was approved for construction by Maharashtra Government’s Cabinet on June 13, 2017. It is expected to be completed and opened in January 2025 beyond its current deadline of March 2024.

The project comprises of two twin tunnels (1.75 km & 8.92 km), two cable stayed bridges (770m & 645m), one small bridge, culverts (11 pipe culverts and two box culverts). The 645m cable stayed bridge will comprise of 170m tall parallel piers with decks approximately 100m above the ground.

  • Total Estimated Cost: Rs. 6695.36 crore
  • Project’s Total Length: 13.30 km
  • Lanes: 8
  • Right of Way (ROW): 100m
  • Tunnel Width: 23.50 m
  • Status: Under Construction
  • Deadline: March 2024
  • My Opening Estimate: 2025
  • Owner: Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)
  • Project Model: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) 

Route Map

An official PDF route map will be added here when available.

Current Status

Tunneling work is being carried out through controlled blasting method. Navayuga recorded the 1st tunnel breakthrough for RHS tunnel in October 2021 and the 1st for the LHS tunnel in February 2022.

Here’s a recent video by Droneman uploaded in June 2024:

Tenders & Contractors

Contracts for this project were awarded in February-March 2019 with a 36 month completion period

PackageContractor
General Consultants (GC)Geodata S.pA and Louis Berger JV
Package 1: Twin tunnels: 1.75 km and 8.92 km (longest in Maharashtra)Navayuga Engineering Company (NEC)
Package 2: Augmenting existing expressway and constructing cable-stayed two bridges: 650m and 750m in lengthAfcons Infrastructure

Page last updated: July 7, 2024. Have a question or spot an error? Let me know here.