Landslide at Mumbai-Pune expressway’s ‘Missing Link’ shuts traffic as heavy rains batter region

Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune expressway was stopped on Monday after a landslide blocked the route.

The traffic on the old Mumbai-Pune highway was also stopped because of a landslide and heavy rainfall in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section, said the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. No casualties were reported.

The incidents occurred amid heavy rainfall since Friday that disrupted normal life in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and its surrounding areas.

Videos posted on social media showed debris blocking the carriageway between the opening of the tunnel and the cable-stayed bridge located in the “Missing Link” section of the expressway.

While the expressway has been operational since 2002, the 13.3-km Missing Link, which bypasses the Khandala Ghat and was built at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore, was inaugurated on May 1.

मुंबई-पुणे एक्स्प्रेस वेवर मिसिंग लिंकवर मोठी दुर्घटना, स्लॅब कोसळून छतातून पाणी अन् माती खाली कोसळली, भयानक व्हिडीओ#Mumbai #Pune #Rain #MissingLink pic.twitter.com/Ka9KidTVbC— ABP माझा (@abpmajhatv) July 6, 2026

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that efforts were underway to clear the debris and reopen the expressway. “However, continuous rainfall and gusty winds are posing some challenges to these efforts,” Shinde said on social media.

The minister, who holds the urban development and public undertakings portfolios, urged citizens to exercise caution and avoid non-essential travel between Mumbai and Pune.

It was unclear if the highway had been...

Read more