Connecting Link landslide prompts safety audit of Samruddhi ghat stretch

MSRDC has started monitoring the Kasara ghat stretch, following which safety measures such as removing boulders and strengthening loose soil will be undertaken

Mumbai: Days after a landslide at the mouth of a tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s Connecting Link, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is preparing to take preventive measures to avoid a similar incident on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, particularly in the Kasara Ghat section.

The Samruddhi Expressway has two tunnels between Igatpuri and Kasara with a cumulative length of 13.1 km, which are critical in connecting Mumbai with the rest of Maharashtra. (Hindustan Times)

The government agency has started monitoring the ghat stretch, following which safety measures such as removing boulders and strengthening loose soil will be undertaken, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Like the Connecting Link, the Samruddhi Expressway has two tunnels between Igatpuri and Kasara with a cumulative length of 13.1 km, which are critical in connecting Mumbai with the rest of Maharashtra. One of them, measuring 7.78 km in length and 17.61 metres in width, is the second widest tunnel in the state after the 22.33-metre-wide tunnel on the Connecting Link.

Officials said the Kasara Ghat section’s terrain closely resembles that of the Khandala Ghat, where the Connecting Link passes. “The terrain and topography are similar, as Igatpuri and Khandala are part of the Sahyadri range,” said an MSRDC official. Between Igatpuri and Shirdi on the Samruddhi Expressway, similar to the Connecting Link, there is a combination of bridges and tunnels.

Depending on site requirements, MSRDC may also erect retaining walls, create additional drainage channels above the tunnel, and plant vegetation to anchor loose earth, officials said.

In the event of a landslide on the 701-km Samruddhi Expressway, authorities said they fear they will be unable to manage traffic on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway due to its steep gradient and limited road width. Closure of this portion of the expressway would lead to several kilometres of traffic snarls, officials said.

Before the 76-km Igatpuri-Amane stretch of the Samruddhi Expressway opened in June last year, crossing the Kasara Ghat typically took at least an hour even under normal traffic conditions. The same journey now takes just five to 10 minutes.

Additionally, MSRDC plans to inspect the expressway to identify and rectify sections showing signs of stress that could develop into potholes, officials said.

The development comes days after heavy monsoon rain triggered a landslide at a tunnel opening on the Connecting Link, earlier known as the Missing Link, which led to the route’s closure for 18 hours. Although no one was injured, the incident sparked criticism as the ₹6,695-crore infrastructure project had been inaugurated only in May.

The state government and MSRDC maintained that the landslide was caused by exceptionally heavy rainfall rather than any structural defect in the tunnels or roadway. Defending the project in the state assembly, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis described the Connecting Link as “an engineering marvel” and accused the Opposition of politicising the incident.