News Brief
Pune-Mumbai Expressway's New Link Road Nears Completion, Promises Two-Hour Cut To Navi Mumbai Airport
At Pune, the expressway will also connect to the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.
International travelers and commuters between Pune and Mumbai have much to look forward to as the Pune-Mumbai Expressway’s new link road nears completion.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has confirmed that 90 per cent of the work on the "missing link" road is complete, with civil works largely finalised.
The link road is set to dramatically cut travel time to the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is expected to open in April 2025.
The new link road will reduce travel time between Pune and Mumbai by at least 30 minutes, according to Rakesh Sonawane, Executive Engineer at MSRDC. Currently, the 160-km journey from Pune to Mumbai’s existing international airport takes approximately four hours.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport, located 120 km from Pune, will bring this down to around two-and-a-half hours. With the new link road bypassing the congested Lonavala town, travel time could drop further to just two hours, reports Financial Express.
The Rs 6,595-crore project is designed to shorten the Pune-Mumbai Expressway by 6.5 km, bypassing a 19.8-km stretch from Khopoli to Kusgaon. Key features include:
Tunnels: Two tunnels spanning 1.7 km
Hillside Stretch: An 8.9-km road cutting across hilly terrain
Safety Enhancements: Emergency medical services and an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS)
This advanced infrastructure aims to eliminate the steep slopes and sharp turns of the Lonavala ghat section, transforming it into a “zero fatality corridor.”
Despite its urgency, the project faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the complexity of construction involving tunnels and valley bridges.
Sonawane emphasized the need for meticulous execution to ensure safety. The project is now set to meet its completion deadline of June 2025, just months after the airport’s anticipated inauguration.
The Pune-Mumbai Expressway, built two decades ago, has experienced a steady rise in traffic, exacerbating congestion and travel times, especially in the Lonavala ghat section. The missing link project was conceived to alleviate these issues and streamline connectivity between two of Maharashtra’s key cities.
With its completion, the link road is expected to enhance regional connectivity, support the Navi Mumbai International Airport, and provide a significant boost to travel and economic activities across the region.
