Mumbai-Pune Expressway Connecting Link inaugurated: ₹7,181 crore project cuts travel time by 30 min
Synopsis
Maharashtra's long-stalled 'Missing Link' is now the 'Connecting Link' — and it comes with a Guinness World Record. The ₹7,181 crore, 13-km stretch between Kusgaon and Khopoli features the world's widest underground tunnel at 22.33 metres and the world's highest cable-stayed bridge at 182 metres, promising to shave 30 minutes off the Mumbai-Pune commute and unlock a ₹70,000 crore economic corridor.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the ₹7,181 crore Connecting Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on 1 May 2025 .
The 13-km stretch between Kusgaon and Khopoli is expected to cut travel time by 25–30 minutes and reduce distance by 6 km .
The project's tunnel in Lonavala received a Guinness World Record as the world's widest underground tunnel at 22.33 metres .
The route features the world's highest cable-stayed bridge at 182 metres , designed to withstand winds of 240 kmph .
The project is projected to generate an economy worth ₹70,000 crore and deliver daily fuel cost savings.
Construction involved expertise from seven countries including Canada, Taiwan, Denmark, Austria, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, 1 May 2025, inaugurated the long-awaited 13-km Connecting Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway at a ceremony in Pune, marking the completion of a ₹7,181 crore project that is projected to cut travel time between the two cities by 25 to 30 minutes and shorten the route by 6 km. The stretch, previously known as the 'Missing Link,' was formally rechristened the 'Connecting Link' by Fadnavis at the event.
The inauguration was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar. The ceremony began slightly later than scheduled due to unprecedented traffic congestion triggered by the event itself — an irony that the Chief Minister acknowledged publicly, offering an apology to commuters.
Guinness World Record for World's Widest Underground Tunnel
At the ceremony, CM Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Sunetra Pawar accepted a certificate from Guinness World Records recognising the tunnel constructed in the Lonavala area as the world's widest underground tunnel, measuring 22.33 metres in width. The tunnel is part of the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai-Pune Expressway Capacity Augmentation project.
Point of View
From a 2010 proposal to a 2025 inauguration, also raises legitimate questions about why a project deemed 'impossible' by one government took another decade to complete under the next. The Guinness record and the seven-nation construction consortium are genuine engineering achievements, but the ₹70,000 crore economic impact figure warrants independent verification — such projections have historically overshot in Indian infrastructure announcements.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link renamed the Connecting Link?
CM Devendra Fadnavis rechristened the 13-km stretch as the 'Connecting Link' at its inauguration on 1 May 2025, signalling a shift in framing from a gap in infrastructure to a completed connection between Kusgaon and Khopoli on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
What Guinness World Record did the Mumbai-Pune Connecting Link project achieve?
The tunnel constructed in the Lonavala area was certified by Guinness World Records as the world's widest underground tunnel, measuring 22.33 metres in width.
How much will the Connecting Link reduce Mumbai-Pune travel time?
According to CM Fadnavis, the Connecting Link is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes and shorten the route by 6 km by bypassing the winding Khandala-Lonavala ghat section.
What is the total cost of the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project?
The project cost ₹7,181 crore and is projected to generate an economy worth ₹70,000 crore, while also delivering daily fuel cost savings for commuters and freight operators.
Why was the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project delayed for so long?
The project was first proposed in 2010 but stalled by a report citing 13 reasons it was deemed impossible, including a claim that the tunnel could not pass beneath Lonavala Lake. The Mahayuti government reversed that decision in 2015 and initiated construction, according to CM Fadnavis.
