Chief Minister Apologizes as ‘Connecting Link’ Launch Causes Traffic Chaos

PUNE: It is unusual for the chief minister to offer an apology while inaugurating a mega-infrastructure project, but on Friday, Devendra Fadnavis had little choice. The project, famously called the ‘Missing Link’ connecting Khopoli and Lonavala, and cutting travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 minutes, was opened to the public on May 1, or Maharashtra Day.

The inauguration was marked by traffic gridlock and chaos as parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which connects to the Missing Link, were closed for VIP movement and other arrangements. Add to that a surge in traffic volumes due to the long weekend, and restless motorists were stalled for hours in the sizzling summer heat. The highway became a chokepoint of idling vehicles and frayed nerves. The irony was hard to miss – the ceremony was delayed due to the traffic snarls.

Acknowledging the traffic chaos caused by the event, Fadnavis swiftly spun the narrative. He said, “I apologise to all travellers who faced inconvenience today. Even Supriya Sule ji was stuck in traffic and her message reached us. I want to assure that this will be the last time commuters face such congestion here. With this Connecting Link now operational, traffic bottlenecks in this stretch will be a thing of the past. This is a project the previous government could not execute, but our Mahayuti government has successfully delivered.”

Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament and NCP (SP) working president, was trapped in traffic. “I have been stuck in traffic for over two hours; better coordination was clearly needed on such an important day,” said Sule, taking a dig at the government.

The 13-km stretch between Khopoli and Kusgaon, built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), is now open to traffic. Originally referred to as the ‘Missing Link’, Fadnavis said it should now be called the ‘Connecting Link’, highlighting its role in diverting traffic from the expressway’s congestion-prone ghat section, shortening the Mumbai-Pune commute by 6km, and shrinking travel time by 25-30 minutes.

Fadnavis said the project was first proposed in 2010 but stalled due to multiple objections from the previous government. “In 2015, after reviewing all concerns, we took a bold decision to revive the project and move forward. What was once considered impossible has now become a reality. This Connecting Link is not just a road, but a symbol of determination, innovation, and engineering excellence. It will save crores of rupees in fuel every day and significantly reduce travel time for lakhs of commuters,” he said.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, opened in 2002, is India’s first access-controlled highway. A transformational project at the time, the high-speed corridor navigated a challenging stretch of the Western Ghats, marked by sharp turns and steep gradients. Now the Connecting Link bypasses this section, for motorists headed beyond Lonavala.

Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, present at the inauguration of the Connecting Link on Friday, acknowledged its role in enhancing regional growth and infrastructure. “We invested heavily in this project, and it has significantly boosted the economy of the region. Pune has seen rapid expansion due to the growth of the service and IT sectors, along with a real estate boom, bringing Mumbai and Pune closer than ever. However, traffic congestion in the ghat section had become a major concern. With the Missing Link project, we have provided a long-term solution. While there may be some initial inconvenience, once fully operational, people will appreciate the scale and importance of this development,” he said.