Pune, 7th July 2026: Traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway's Missing Link resumed late on Monday night after remaining closed for more than 18 hours following a landslide triggered by heavy overnight rainfall.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) reopened two lanes of the carriageway at around 10:10 pm after completing detailed safety inspections at the affected site.
The landslide occurred around 4 am near the exit of Tunnel 2, the longest tunnel on the 13.3-km Missing Link section through the Sahyadri hills. Heavy rain sent rocks, soil and water crashing down the slope, damaging a protective wall built above the tunnel to channel rainwater.
Although the tunnel remained structurally safe, authorities immediately suspended traffic as a precaution.
MSRDC engineers cleared the debris by the afternoon before carrying out a detailed inspection of the slope to check for loose rocks and unstable ground. Persistent rain and strong winds slowed the inspection process, delaying the reopening. Officials said the route was reopened only after all technical assessments confirmed it was safe for vehicles.
During the closure, Mumbai-bound traffic was diverted through the existing Lonavala-Khandala ghat section. The diversion, combined with fresh landslides in the ghat stretch and waterlogging near Khalapur, led to long traffic jams throughout the day.
Flooding and landslides were also reported near the Urse tunnel, while sections of the old Mumbai-Pune Highway experienced waterlogging. Traffic on these stretches resumed after floodwaters receded and debris was removed.