In a major relief for commuters, the long-awaited ‘missing link’ on the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai–Pune Expressway will open to the public on 1 May 2026 without any additional toll burden, even as authorities propose extending toll collection on the corridor till 2060 to fund future expansion.
The 13.3-km stretch, designed to bypass the congested and accident-prone Khandala ghat section, will significantly reduce travel time while keeping existing toll rates unchanged at the Khalapur toll plaza.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde informed reporters that no separate toll would be levied for using the missing link.
“The objective of the project is to reduce travel stress and improve connectivity, not increase costs for commuters,” he says, adding that existing toll charges will continue without any hike.
Even as commuters benefit from the new stretch, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has proposed extending toll collection on the expressway by 15 years—from the current deadline of 2045 to 2060.
The move is aimed at raising funds for a planned expansion of the 94-km corridor into a 10-lane highway. The proposal has received in-principle approval from the state government and is awaiting clearance from the cabinet infrastructure committee.
Officials say the expansion project, estimated to cost over ₹14,000 crore, will be financed through borrowings, with toll revenues used for repayment.
The missing link project, built at a cost of ₹6,695 crore, includes two eight-lane tunnels, high viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. The stretch connects Khopoli to Kusgaon near Lonavala and is expected to decongest the heavily trafficked ghat section.
Currently, traffic from the Mumbai–Pune Expressway and National Highway (NH) 4 converges near Khalapur and passes through a six-lane stretch that often carries traffic equivalent to 10 lanes, leading to frequent bottlenecks.
With the new alignment, the distance between key points will reduce from 19km to 13.3km, cutting the overall Mumbai–Pune travel distance by about 6km and reducing journey time by 20 minutes–25 minutes.
The existing Khandala ghat stretch is known for steep gradients, sharp curves and landslides during the monsoon, often resulting in lane closures and accidents.
By bypassing this section, the missing link is expected to improve safety and ensure smoother traffic flow. In the initial phase, only light motor vehicles and buses will be allowed on the new stretch to maximise decongestion benefits.
The expressway, India’s first access-controlled highway, currently handles around 65,000 vehicles on weekdays and over 100,000 on weekends, with traffic growing steadily each year.
Officials say the missing link already includes a 10-lane configuration in the ghat section, and the proposed expansion will widen the remaining stretches to create a uniform 10-lane corridor.
Work on the expansion is expected to begin after the monsoon and be completed within three years, as most of the required land is already with MSRDC.
While the decision not to levy additional toll on the missing link offers immediate relief to motorists, the proposed extension of toll collection till 2060 reflects the growing financial demands of maintaining and upgrading one of India’s busiest expressways.
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