Priyanka Chaturvedi Questions Missing Link's Durability After Landslide Damages Tunnel

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has questioned the durability of the recently opened Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link project after a major landslide affected the stretch on Monday. Chaturvedi pointed out that the Rs 7,000-crore project had been inaugurated barely two months earlier, on May 1, 2026, before the landslide occurred amid extremely heavy rainfall across the region.

Sharing a video of the landslide on social media, Chaturvedi highlighted the timeline and cost of the project. “Missing link inaugurated: 1st May 2026. Cost of the project: 7000 crores,” she wrote. Referring to the latest incident, she added that a major landslide had occurred on the Missing Link section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on July 6, drawing attention to the short period between its opening and the disruption.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation said the landslide occurred near the Tunnel 2 exit on the Pune-to-Mumbai lane of the Pune-Mumbai Connecting Link Road. The incident took place during a period of extremely heavy rainfall, which has caused widespread disruption across the Mumbai-Pune region. Authorities diverted traffic from around 4 am as a precautionary measure to ensure commuter safety.

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The MSRDC said it was continuously monitoring the situation in coordination with the Highway Traffic Police. Commuters were advised to avoid travelling on the affected route unless necessary and to follow official traffic updates. Restoration and safety assessment work continued as authorities examined the landslide-hit section and the impact of persistent rainfall on the surrounding infrastructure.

The Missing Link project includes twin tunnels and cable-stayed bridges near Khandala and was developed to ease congestion and reduce travel time on one of Maharashtra’s busiest road corridors. The stretch was opened to traffic on May 1, 2026. The landslide has now prompted political questions over the durability of the newly completed infrastructure, although authorities have cited exceptionally heavy rainfall in the region.

The disruption was part of a wider monsoon emergency affecting road and rail connectivity between Mumbai and Pune. Landslides in the Bhor Ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala forced Central Railway to cancel 16 trains and divert several others on Monday. Chaturvedi’s remarks have added to scrutiny of the Missing Link project as authorities continue restoration work and assess when normal traffic can safely resume.

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