Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday inaugurated the much-awaited 13.3-km-long "Missing Link" project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway aimed at bypassing the steep mountain pass section in order to improve road safety and reduce travel time between the two key cities.

Calling it an "engineering marvel", the CM said this "iconic project", built at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore, will act as an "economic multiplier" and help create a Rs 70,000 crore economy by boosting investments, connectivity and industrial growth along the corridor.

Coinciding with this inauguration event held on the Maharashtra Foundation Day, a massive traffic jam was witnessed in the Khandala or Bhor 'ghat' (mountain pass) section of the expressway with commuters questioning the government over the timing of the function considering the school holidays and a long weekend. Many of them were stuck in the traffic since early morning.

During his speech later, Fadnavis apologised to people for the inconvenience.

The CM inaugurated the Missing Link at the Khalapur (Raigad district) end of the expressway around 1 pm and then drove a car on the Lonavala-bound carriageway of the project. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was spotted sitting next to him in the vehicle.

The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.

Developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep and accident-prone ghat section that witnesses frequent traffic congestion, especially during weekends and on public holidays.

Fadnavis said the completion of the project, which was executed in difficult terrain, was a "dream come true".

"This should not be called a Missing Link but a Connecting Link. Nothing is missing. Everything is in place," he said.

The project would support the development of a Mumbai-Pune knowledge corridor and emerge as a catalyst for economic activity, he said.

"It cost us Rs 7,000 crore to create this engineering marvel, but the project has generated such a strong economic multiplier that the Missing Link or connecting link is expected to create an economy worth Rs 70,000 crore," the CM added.

The project features the widest road tunnel in the world and the tallest cable-stayed bridge in the country, making it an iconic infrastructure asset for Maharashtra, according to him.

Fadnavis aid the project was conceptualised in 2010, but got stalled due to multiple objections, including concerns over a lake above the alignment.

"In 2015, our government overruled the earlier decision and decided to execute the project," he said.

Stating that the tunnel of the Missing Link is the widest in the world and has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records, Fadnavis said it took nearly three years to design the cable-stayed bridge section due to its technical complexity.

The project was executed with technological and engineering support involving seven countries, according to him.

He also warned motorists to maintain lane discipline on the expressway, saying strict enforcement would be carried out.

"If lane discipline is not followed, a big challan will be issued," he said.

Ahead of the inauguration event, movement of vehicles was affected in the hilly stretch of the expressway due to a sudden surge in the traffic as a result of school holidays and a long weekend. Heavy traffic towards Pune and popular tourist destinations resulted in long queues of vehicles, particularly at bottleneck points around steep inclines.

CM Fadnavis apologised to people who were stuck in the traffic jam. Referring to a social media post by NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, who was also stuck in the traffic, he said that she will not have to face a similar situation on the route again as the Missing Link project, which was stalled by the previous government, is now ready.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the link will significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune, and will save fuel, bring down pollution levels as well as accident risks.

Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar also spoke on the occasion.

The Missing Link project forms part of a modern 19.16-km corridor that also includes widening of a 5.86-km six-lane section between Khalapur and Khopoli interchange to eight lanes, the MSRDC said in a release.

Officials said the Missing Link will reduce the Mumbai-Pune travel distance by around 6 km and cut the journey time by 20 to 30 minutes.

Initially, only light motor vehicles and buses will be allowed on the new stretch, while heavy goods vehicles will continue to use the existing ghat route due to safety considerations.

Authorities clarified that no toll hike has been proposed in connection with the project, including at the Khalapur toll plaza in Raigad district.

The tunnels were constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) and involved extensive geological studies across varying rock formations in the Sahyadri ranges, the MSRDC said.

The 650-metre viaduct features, what officials described as India's tallest road cable-stayed bridge, with pylons rising 182 metres and supported by 240 stay cables. The bridge underwent international testing, including wind tunnel, fatigue and tensile tests.

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