Mumbai-Pune 'Missing link' ₹6,695cr closed after landslide, Pune-to-Mumbai traffic diverted
Just months after opening, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway's ₹6,695 crore "Missing Link" had to be closed on Monday when heavy rains triggered a landslide near Tunnel 2.
A damaged retaining wall forced all Pune-to-Mumbai traffic onto the old highway, which was also hit by flooding and fallen trees.
Travelers were advised to delay their trips.
Tunnel cores intact, outer structures damaged
The 13.3-kilometer Missing Link, featuring twin tunnels and India's tallest cable-stayed bridge, was designed to make journeys safer by bypassing the risky Khandala ghat stretch.
Still, despite advanced rockfall systems approved by IIT Bombay, relentless rain sent boulders crashing down from unexpected heights.
The MSRDC called it an "act of God," but reassured everyone that while some outer structures took a hit, the tunnel cores are safe.