With new road projects coming up everywhere in India, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will also witness significant development. The “Missing link” will help bridge the huge time gap between the two cities and reduce travel time drastically for travellers travelling between Khopoli-Singbad. Here’s what you can look forward to.
‘Missing Link’ Project To Bridge Gap On Mumbai-Pune Expressway
Despite the inconvenience caused due to extremely rainy conditions, the engineers at Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) are enthusiastic about completing the challenging ‘Missing Link’ project.
The ‘Missing Link’ project on the Mumbai-Pune expressway is reported to be completed by December 2023 or at the most, early 2024. As per reports by The Indian Express, the engineers have finished 34% of the cable-stayed bridge project.
The report also stated that they worked at a height of 100 meters above Tiger Valley in the Lonavala-Khandala region. The project is said to be 13 kilometres long. This month, a major milestone will be reached as the viaduct undergoes its first load testing on the Pune-bound corridor.
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What Should You Expect From The New Khopoli-Singbad Link?
As per the MSRDC website, currently, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway section from Khopoli exit to Sinhgad Institute is 19 km long. The construction of the new missing link will reduce this distance to 13.3 km.
The Indian Express reported that the ‘missing link’ on the Mumbai side costs ₹6,600 crore. It begins at Khopoli and bypasses the expressway. It includes an 840-metre-long viaduct with a height of 60 metres.
Then, there is a 1.75-km-long tunnel followed by a 640-metre-long cable-stayed bridge with a height of 100 feet. Next, there is another 8.9-km-long tunnel, part of which is situated 170 feet below the ground, with Lonavala Lake above it. Finally, it emerges near the Sinhgad Institute.
Thus, the total length of the Expressway from Mumbai to Pune will decrease by 6 km. Additionally, the travel time will be reduced by 20-25 mins with travellers being able to travel with speeds up to 120kmph.
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Times Of India also reportedly stated that the cable-stayed bridge can endure winds of up to 70 meters per second or 252 mph. Prior to finalizing the design, a prototype of the bridge underwent wind tunnel testing at the Force Institute in Denmark, a common practice for aircraft and large bridge projects.
Once completed, the project will be one of the best roadways projects for those travellers who look forward to commuting between Mumbai to Pune.
Let us know what you think about how beneficial the new ‘missing link’ will be.
Cover image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons