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Missing link project to be operational by year-end: Fadnavis
Fadnavis added that 94% of the missing link work has been completed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is executing the project to high standards
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the Pune-Mumbai missing link project will be inaugurated by November or December this year. The chief minister said once operational, it will significantly benefit Pune residents.
Fadnavis was in the city to release the one-year performance report of Pune MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol. Before the event, he visited the ongoing construction sites of the Navi Mumbai airport and the missing link stretch on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.
“Missing link project will be inaugurated by November or December. Once the missing link is completed, Pune residents will be able to reach the airport in just one-and-a-half hours,” he said.
The missing link project is a 13.3 km stretch of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway that bypasses the congested Khandala and Lonavla ghat sections. According to Fadnavis, it features several engineering milestones, including India’s longest urban road tunnel at 9.1 km, a record 23-metre width, and a 180-metre high viaduct—India’s tallest.
“Three world records are being set here. The project is an engineering marvel,” he said. “Despite being a short stretch, it will save at least 30 minutes of travel time by eliminating the ghat section, which is prone to traffic jams.”
Fadnavis added that 94% of the missing link work has been completed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is executing the project to high standards.
Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and MSRDC managing director Anilkumar Gaikwad were also present during the site inspection.
Fadnavis also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building an international airport specifically for Pune. “We are fully aware of Pune’s growing needs. While Navi Mumbai will help ease the current pressure, our promise of an international airport for Pune still stands—we will fulfil it,” he said.
He also said the combination of the airport and the expressway upgrade would foster a new economic ecosystem for Pune, improving connectivity and boosting development.
