All goods-carrying vehicles, including light commercial vehicles (LCVs) such as pickup vans and Tata Ace, will be barred from using the Connecting Link on the Yashwantrao Chavan Pune-Mumbai Expressway from November 1.
The revised regulations will remain in force permanently from November 1 until further orders. The vehicles will have to use the existing expressway alignment, officials said.
According to a notification issued on October 26 by Praveen Salunke, additional director general of police (traffic), Maharashtra, the restriction has been imposed to ensure traffic safety inside the Connecting Link tunnels, taking into account technical considerations and stakeholder consultations.
Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including inflammable, explosive and other dangerous substances, will also be prohibited from using the Missing Link from November 1. The restriction aligns with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) guidelines and safety protocols for tunnel infrastructure. Such vehicles will have to use the existing expressway alignment.
The notification also specifies speed limits for vehicles permitted to use the Missing Link. Light motor vehicles, including cars, will have a maximum speed limit of 100 kmph, while passenger buses will be restricted to 80 kmph. It further states that action under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, will not be initiated for a speed-limit violation if the detected speed is within 5% of the maximum limit specified in the notification.