‘Connecting Link’ opens on Mumbai-Pune Expressway

The ambitious lsquoConnecting Linkrsquo project aimed at making travel on the MumbaiPune Expressway safer smoother and faster was inaugurated on May 1 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra PawarFadnavis said the project would be a gamechanger attracting investments worth Rs 70000 crore and boosting economic development in the regionChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar at the inauguration and ribboncutting ceremony near Khopoli exit in Khalapur Raigad on Friday PicsSatej ShindeSpeaking at the event he said ldquoThe dream we had envisioned for MumbaiPune Expressway commuters has finally become a reality and this engineering marvel will help boost economic growthrdquoName shiftCM added ldquoThe lsquoMissing Linkrsquo should be called the lsquoConnecting Linkrsquo as it links two crucial locationsrdquo The CM also said the Guinness Book of Records has recognised it as the widest underground road tunnel in the world while the cablestayed bridge stands as another engineering featFadnavis said strict lane discipline will be enforced warning of heavy fines for violationsPolitical swipeResponding to a post by NCP SP leader Supriya Sule Fadnavis said ldquoI would like to apologise to Supriya tai for being stuck in traffic on the Expressway Going forward she wonrsquot face this issuerdquoHe added ldquoThere is a difference between the earlier government and us The project was planned in 2010 but in 2014 the then government said it could not be done citing 13 reasons including alignment below Lonavala Lake In 2015 we decided to move aheadrdquoStrict rulesFadnavis warned that strict lane discipline will be enforced with heavy fines for violations He added that the project involved technological and engineering inputs from seven countriesProject history The MumbaiPune Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway opened in phases in 2002 The original 199697 plan proposed a 1330 km lsquoMissing Linkrsquo between Khalapur and Kusgaon Sinhgad Institute but financial and technical constraints delayed its executionBridge designA 650metre cablestayed bridge in Tiger Valley connects the tunnels at a height of nearly 125 metres It features two pylons of 182 metres and 240 stay cables and underwent international wind fatigue and tensile testingRoute upgradeThe stretch between Adoshi Tunnel and Khandala exit currently handles ten lanes often disrupted by steep gradients and monsoontriggered landslides The project includes a widened 586 km eightlane section between Khalapur and Khopoli and a 1330 km stretch with two tunnels and two viaducts forming a 1916 km corridor Approved on August 29 2018 it involved a capital outlay of R669536 crore under a Special Purpose VehicleTunnel factsThe two tunnels were built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method across the Sahyadri ranges each 2350 metres wideTunnel 1 158 kmTunnel 2 886 kmpassing 180 metres below Lonavala LakeImpact ahead The new route bypasses accidentprone ghat sections improving safety and travel time Fuel savings are estimated at R1 crore daily alongside reduced emissions The project is expected to strengthen connectivity across western Maharashtra Konkan and Marathwada