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Barricades placed on E-way Missing Link bridge to curb selfie rush: 308 motorists fined
The 13.3-km-long Missing Link project, constructed by MSRDC, has significantly reduced travel time between Khopoli and Kusgaon
Even 11 days after the opening of the Missing Link project on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, motorists continue to stop on the stretch to click photographs, shoot videos and make social media reels, prompting strict action by the Highway Safety Patrol (HSP) police. From May 1 to May 11, the highway police have taken action against 308 motorists for violating traffic rules on the stretch and recovered fines exceeding ₹1 lakh.
To prevent vehicles from halting on the valley bridge, the police have now temporarily blocked portions of the shoulder lane with barricades so that vehicles continue moving without stopping.
After chief minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the stretch on Maharashtra Day, May 1, nearly 70 per cent of the traffic on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway is now using the missing link and connecting corridor as it reduced travel time through the Bhor Ghat section.
“Earlier, we faced some challenges as certain categories of vehicles are prohibited from using the stretch, so we deployed additional manpower at key points. Along with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) officials, we also distributed pamphlets and carried out announcements to spread awareness among motorists,” said Tanaji Chikhale, highway police superintendent.
The 13.3-km-long Missing Link project, constructed by MSRDC, has significantly reduced travel time between Khopoli and Kusgaon. The project has cut nearly six kilometres of travel distance and reduced journey time by around 30 minutes, bringing major relief from congestion on the expressway.
The scenic route passing through mountains and valleys, along with the iconic cable-stayed bridge, has become a major attraction for motorists and passengers. Since the stretch opened for traffic, large numbers of commuters have been stopping their vehicles on the bridge and inside tunnel stretches to click selfies, record videos and create reels for social media, creating a serious safety concern for highway authorities.
“Last weekend, the entire ghat section remained largely congestion-free. If you check traffic maps now, the Bhor Ghat stretch consistently appears green, which was rarely the case earlier. Another issue we noticed was motorists stopping on the valley bridge to click photographs and shoot videos. Since the shoulder lane had enough space, people started parking their vehicles there, which created a safety hazard. The shoulder lane is meant only for emergency breakdowns, but it was misused. To curb this, we have temporarily blocked portions of the shoulder lane with barricades so that vehicles continue moving without stopping. The initiative has shown good results so far,” Chikhale said.
According to the highway police, the action has been taken under Sections 122 and 119 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Section 122 pertains to leaving vehicles in a dangerous position in a public place, thereby causing obstruction, inconvenience or danger to traffic, while Section 119 relates to disobeying traffic signs, signals and police instructions.
“I regularly travel between Pune and Mumbai for work, and after the opening of the missing link, the journey has become smoother and less stressful. The biggest relief is that the long traffic jams in the ghat section have almost disappeared,” said commuter Amit Dengale, a businessman from Pune.
“The new route has reduced travel time significantly, especially during weekends and peak hours. The views on the stretch are beautiful, but people should avoid stopping vehicles on the bridge because it can become dangerous on such a high-speed corridor,” said regular commuter and software engineer Sharayu Bobade.
