Mumbai: Traffic on the Pune to Mumbai carriageway of the Khopoli-Kusgaon ‘Missing Link’ alignment was diverted early Monday following a landslide near the exit of Tunnel 2 amid heavy rains, officials said.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link, opened two months ago, is a 13-km bypass that cuts through the Sahyadri mountains, reducing travel distance by 6 km and shaving 25 to 30 minutes off the commute.
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRDC) said a traffic diversion has been in place since 4 am on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of commuters.
The corporation said they were closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Highway Traffic Police and advised motorists to avoid travelling on the route unless necessary.
A motorist travelling to Mumbai from Sangli in Western Maharashtra told PTI that they have been stuck near Lonavala since 4 am as the Mumbai-bound traffic on the Missing Link was diverted.
“As the Missing Link was closed to traffic, we came via Lonavala and are now stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Expressway in the section passing through Lonavala city,” he said.
The highway traffic police control room said traffic on the Khandala Ghat section of the expressway has been disrupted due to water logging and a landslide.
