Mumbai-Pune expressway to have world's widest tunnels

After its inauguration two decades ago, India's first Expressway is set to become even more seamless for lakhs of motorists traveling between Mumbai and Pune. The much-awaited Missing Link, which will make the Expressway bypass the winding and dangerous ghat section, is nearing completion and is scheduled to be unveiled by July 2024. About 85% of the Expressway's current traffic is projected to use the new route.The Rs 6,695-crore project, undertaken by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), boasts of several records, including the world's widest twin tunnels, spanning 47 m over 10 lanes, a fact recognized by Guinness World Records. The daylighting process for the tunnels, in two stretches of 8.9km and 1.7km, has been completed. The remaining task involves bridging the 650-metre gap between them with the country's tallest cable-stayed road link, being constructed in the scenic Tiger Valley of the weekend getaway Lonavala. The construction of pylons, with an average height of 132 metres, and a maximum height of 182 metres, and connecting pillars for the bridge are in their final stages, said Rahul Vasaikar, the project's superintending engineer.The 12.1km Missing Link project aims to bypass the expressway's 19km Khandala ghat section, reducing the distance between Mumbai and Pune by over 6km and travel time by nearly 30 minutes. This reduction will result in significant fuel and carbon savings, as the ghat section burns fuel because of ascent and traffic congestion. Although the Expressway's toll structure will not change, motorists will have to pay it for 15 years beyond the existing toll contract period, which was scheduled to end in 2030.