PUNE: The long-delayed ‘missing link’ on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway, slated to open on May 1, has come again into focus after a 32-hour traffic nightmare triggered by a toppled gas tanker in the accident-prone Khandala ghat section earlier this week.The 13.3-km missing link — designed to bypass the steep and winding ghat stretch — is expected to reduce travel time by at least 30 minutes and significantly improve safety. Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) joint managing director Rajesh Patil told TOI that the project is 98% complete and in its final phase.
“The missing link project near Lonavla is nearing completion and we have a firm target to open the stretch on May 1, coinciding with Maharashtra Day. Safety standards will not be compromised,” Patil said.
The development comes amid growing public and political scrutiny following Tuesday evening’s accident, when a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in the Borghat section, bringing traffic to a grinding halt for more than a day.
Missing link back in spotlight
As traffic snarls stretched into a second night, questions resurfaced over whether the long-pending missing link could have mitigated the scale of disruption.Currently, vehicles must navigate nearly 19 km of sharp curves, steep gradients and tunnels through the ghat section — an area notorious for accidents, landslides and long jams during emergencies and monsoon months.The missing link comprises two tunnels (8.9 km and 1.9 km), a 900-metre viaduct, and a 650-metre cable-stayed bridge being built over Tiger Valley at a height of over 180 metres. The bridge will feature India’s tallest road pylons at 182 metres, surpassing the Bandra–Worli Sea Link.
Executed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd at an estimated cost of Rs 6,695 crore, the project was originally scheduled to open in December 2025 but faced delays due to heavy rainfall, high winds and safety concerns in the ghat terrain.“There are past instances of hurried infrastructure projects leading to mishaps. We did not rush the work,” a senior MSRDC official said.
32 hours of chaos
The accident occurred around 4.45 pm on Tuesday, about 50 metres ahead of the tunnel on the Mumbai-bound carriageway. Gas leakage from the tanker forced authorities to halt traffic in both directions as a safety precaution. While the immediate jam affected a 15-km stretch, officials said congestion eventually extended to nearly 50 km, leaving thousands of commuters stranded overnight.
Traffic towards Mumbai resumed only after 1 am on Thursday, once the gas was decanted into another tanker and the damaged vehicle removed with a hydraulic crane.
ZN Gawade, technical director of Mec Elec Industrial Services, Thane, a private agency involved in the response, said the situation on the ground was “extremely volatile and critical.” All three top-mounted ball valves on the tanker were damaged, with liquid propylene leaking from every connection. Lower Explosive Limit readings were alarmingly high even 500 metres from the site, underscoring the severe explosion risk.Working under life-threatening conditions, the team managed to arrest two of the three leaks. The third valve had jammed against the weld cap, making operation impossible while liquid propylene continued to escape. Gawade reached the site the following morning in a police-escorted ambulance and decided on a high-risk decanting strategy—transferring the contents through the single operable vapour valve into multiple empty tankers.The operation, involving NDRF, police, fire brigade, and other state and local agencies, lasted over 32 hours and included lifting the overturned tanker using four cranes.
Residual leaks were swiftly controlled, and the tanker was finally transported to the Khalapur testing station by 5 am Thursday. Authorities said the complex operation averted what could have been a major disaster.Stranded commuters included children, senior citizens and patients travelling for medical treatment. In one instance, a Navi Mumbai resident rode a two-wheeler — despite restrictions — to rescue his mother who had been stuck without food for over seven hours. Several MSRTC and private buses were stranded, forcing cancellation of 139 state transport trips.For many, a simple three-hour journey between Mumbai and Pune turned into an eight-hour ordeal. Nikita John, travelling from Mumbai at 9 am, said the nightmare began near the Bhatan tunnel when vehicles were halted, and many were forced to take U-turns.
Traffic police instructed motorists to head back via the Old Mumbai–Pune Highway, only to face further jams near Khopoli that moved at a snail’s pace for nearly three hours.Commuters struggled with overheating vehicles, limited information, and long waits. “Despite the chaos, traffic police were guiding vehicles at every juncture.
Luxury buses with anxious passengers were waiting, and officials were seen distributing water and snacks,” she said. Some passengers even played cards on the roadside to pass the time, making light of an otherwise difficult situation.Railway officials said Pune–Mumbai intercity trains witnessed unusually heavy crowding as desperate travellers abandoned road travel.
Hazard exposure and preparedness gaps
Disaster management experts warned that the incident exposed serious shortcomings in Maharashtra’s preparedness to deal with hazardous material accidents on high-traffic corridors.Propylene, a pressurised and invisible hydrocarbon gas, can form a fast-moving vapour cloud that ignites with the smallest spark. “You don’t see flames, but you’re standing inside a potential fireball,” a senior industrial safety consultant said.Retired major general P K Shrivastava, a CBRN expert, called the incident a “wake-up call”, urging the state to deploy dedicated HazMat response units along highways like the Pune–Mumbai Expressway.Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took serious note of the incident and directed authorities to prepare a special emergency traffic management plan.
Shinde instructed MSRDC and the police to enhance preparedness and reduce response times during hazardous material emergencies. Toll collection on the expressway was suspended until traffic returned to normal.Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan said the chemical cargo was extremely flammable, and even a small spark could have caused a major explosion. Partial traffic movement was allowed on one side only after technical teams successfully contained the leak. Shinde also reviewed the Mumbai–Pune Missing Link project and asked officials to expedite its completion, noting that the new stretch would serve as a critical alternative route during emergencies.State disaster management director Bhalchandra Chavan admitted that authorities currently lack specialised technical capability to handle such emergencies. He also said the delayed arrival of BPCL’s recovery team worsened the situation.An FIR has been registered against the tanker driver for rash and negligent driving. Officials said an explosion could have affected a 2–3 km radius had the situation escalated.Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the government for failing to provide basic amenities to stranded commuters. In a post on X, he called the situation “beyond absurd” and suggested that toll operators should be responsible for providing food, water, and toilets during such emergencies, given that they maintain and operate the expressway.
Traffic restored
Traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway was finally restored early Thursday at 1.46 am after the damaged tanker was removed with heavy-duty cranes and the gas safely transferred to empty tankers. Vehicular movement gradually normalised, though minor congestion persisted due to stranded heavy vehicles.The incident also disrupted public transport, with several MSRTC buses stranded and a large number of regular services cancelled. Goods transport, including milk and vegetables, was also affected, highlighting the broader impact of the prolonged shutdown.For many commuters stranded during the ordeal, the missing link now represents more than faster travel — it symbolises a critical safety upgrade that may finally put an end to the expressway’s recurring crisis moments.
