06 July,2026 11:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Debris being cleared out at Mumbai-Pune `Missing Link` (Pic.X)
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway's newly inaugurated Missing Link section remained closed on Monday after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in the ghat section forced authorities to suspend traffic as a precautionary measure.
Hours later, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced that the route was opened.
In a post on X, Fadnavis wrote, "Traffic is resumed at the "Connecting Link" ; vehicular movement is restored. Government is trying its best. Stay safe everyone!"
Maharashtra State Road Transport Development Corporation (MSRDC) said the debris near Tunnel 2 has been successfully cleared. However, the expressway stretch will remain shut until a comprehensive safety assessment of the hillside above the tunnel is completed.
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation official while speaking to mid-day said, "The landslide occurred at the mouth of Tunnel 2 on the Pune-to-Mumbai carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The debris was cleared by around 3 pm, following which traffic movement was gradually restored. There is absolutely no damage to the road surface or the tunnel structure, both remain completely safe. The rockfall mitigation measures installed at the treated section are intact. The rockslide originated from a higher, untreated portion of the hillside. Continuous heavy rainfall made debris removal challenging and prolonged the clearance operation."
Authorities further said that persistent heavy rainfall and strong winds in the region have slowed the inspection process, delaying the reopening of the route.
The tunnel section of the Mumbai-Pune âMissing Link' section will be reopened to traffic only after all technical and safety evaluations are completed and the area is declared safe for vehicular movement, they added.
While briefing about the reopening of the tunnel and the expressway, MSRDC said, "The tunnel will be reopened for traffic only after all safety and technical assessments are completed and the area is declared safe for vehicular movement."
The expressway stretch was closed around midnight on Monday after continuous heavy rainfall lashed the Western Ghats, triggering a landslide near Tunnel 2 on the recently inaugurated Missing Link corridor. Authorities immediately halted traffic on the affected section to facilitate debris removal and prevent any untoward incidents.
Earlier, the traffic movement on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway's Missing Link was resumed partially on Monday night after authorities reopened two lanes on the Pune-to-Mumbai carriageway following the completion of safety inspections.
Officials said two lanes of the Connecting Link on the Pune-to-Mumbai corridor were opened to vehicular traffic from 10:10 pm.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday criticised the Maharashtra government over the disruption on the recently inaugurated Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link after a landslide led to the closure of the route.
While taking it to social media handle X, Thackeray questioned the quality of the project, noting that the Missing Link was inaugurated on May 1, 2026, and claimed that its cost had escalated by "thousands of crores."
He alleged that the project had already suffered a landslide within two months of its inauguration and inspections. Thackeray also claimed that during his recent journey on the route, he observed that "not even 50 ft of the road is flat," alleging the carriageway was undulated and "feels like one is sitting in a boat, riding the waves."
Launching a sharp attack on the ruling alliance, Thackeray alleged that corruption had affected infrastructure projects in the state, stating, "Corruption is the first name of the BJP and Mindhe - be it in the roads or even in temples."
