Mumbai-Pune ‘Missing Link’ hit by landslide weeks after launch, Opposition targets Maharashtra govt

Heavy monsoon rain disrupted the newly inaugurated Mumbai-Pune ‘Missing Link’ on Monday after a landslide near one of its tunnel exits forced authorities to temporarily halt traffic, triggering fresh criticism from the Opposition over the project’s quality.

The landslide occurred near the exit of a major tunnel on the Mumbai-bound carriageway during the early hours of Monday, with rainwater, mud and debris spilling onto the roadway.

Videos circulating on social media showed torrents of water cascading down the hillside, while bulldozers and other heavy machinery were deployed to clear the debris.

“The rest of the connecting link remains intact. Traffic has been stopped only at the tunnel exit affected by the landslide, and clearance operations are underway. We expect the route to reopen within four to five hours,” MSRDC Executive Engineer Rakesh Sonawane said.

What is the ‘Missing Link’?

The 13.3-km ‘Missing Link’ project, built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) at a cost of around ₹7,000 crore, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in May.

Hailed by Fadnavis as an “engineering marvel” and an “iconic project”, the corridor features two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley, bypassing the steep and accident-prone Bhor Ghat section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

The chief minister had said the project could generate economic benefits worth nearly ₹70,000 crore by improving connectivity and boosting industrial growth.

Opposition questions project quality

The landslide quickly became a political flashpoint, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accusing the government of inaugurating an incomplete and poorly executed project.

“For all the ‘infra watchers and believers’, the cost of this link has escalated by thousands of crores. It has now had a landslide within two months of its inauguration,” Thackeray posted on social media.

Recalling his experience of travelling on the stretch, he alleged that the road surface was uneven.

“Not even 50 feet of the road is flat. It is all undulated and feels like one is sitting in a boat riding the waves,” he claimed.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised the government, sharing visuals of the landslide online.

No structural damage, says MSRDC

MSRDC Chief Engineer Rahul Vasaikar said officials were alerted to the landslide around 3:15 am and inspected the site soon after.

“There is no structural damage and no one is trapped under the debris. A huge mass of soil and rocks came down from nearly 150 feet above the tunnel. Clearance work is underway, though more debris could still fall,” he said.

While traffic on the Missing Link was temporarily suspended at the affected section, movement on parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was also disrupted as authorities worked to clear the debris and restore normal traffic.