Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently opened a new lane on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The inauguration ceremony, however, led to heavy traffic congestion, causing a slight delay in the event’s start. This 13-km stretch, previously known as the ‘Missing Link,’ has been renamed the ‘Connecting Link’ by the Chief Minister.
The project, costing Rs 7,181 crore, aims to reduce travel time and distance, eliminating traffic congestion and generating an economy worth Rs 70,000 crore. CM Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, received a certificate from the Guinness World Records for the world’s widest underground tunnel, part of the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai-Pune Expressway Capacity Augmentation project.
The ‘Connecting Link’ between Kusgaon and Khopoli is anticipated to cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes and shorten the distance by 6 km. The project features the world’s highest cable-stayed bridge at a height of 182 meters, expected to save significant fuel costs daily.
Addressing engineering challenges, CM Fadnavis highlighted the bridge’s resilience to extreme weather conditions, designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 240 kmph. He credited the current government for overcoming obstacles that stalled the project since 2010, emphasizing the historical significance of the project site.
