Missing Link project main aim to enhance safety, prevent accidents: MSRDC

Traffic volume on this route is substantial, with around 65,000 vehicles using it daily and numbers rising to nearly 100,000 on weekends and during long holidays. (Source: File) With the Missing Link on the Mumbai-Pune expressway opening from May 1, facilitating travel between the cities, Rajesh Patil, joint managing director of MSRDC told The Indian Express that the main aim of the project was to enhance safety. Detailed studies showed that a significant number of accidents were concentrated within a 7 km stretch of the 15-km ghat section, which had a steep downhill gradient of around 6 per cent. In many cases, truck and trailer drivers would shift their vehicles into neutral to coast downhill for 7–8 km without using fuel. However, in neutral gear, effective braking becomes difficult, often causing vehicles to go out of control and resulting in serious accidents. The main aim of the Missing Link project is to enhance safety and prevent accidents,” he said.To address this concern – especially about the steep downhill gradient, a new alignment has been developed with a much gentler gradient. “The steep descent has been flattened as much as possible, allowing vehicles to travel smoothly and safely in both directions, whether from Mumbai to Pune or Pune to Mumbai, without even realising they are passing through a ghat section,” Patil said. Patil said that a visible change can be seen in the Kasara Ghat on the Mumbai–Nashik route, where the once winding and steep road has been largely bypassed by the Samruddhi Expressway. “This now provides a straighter journey. In the same way, the Missing Link project enables uninterrupted, direct travel, bypassing the ghat terrain,” he said. This route is also supported by emergency response systems already in place along the corridor. The original stretch has effectively been reduced by around 6 km, saving approximately 30 minutes of travel time. Traffic volume on this route is substantial, with around 65,000 vehicles using it daily and numbers rising to nearly 100,000 on weekends and during long holidays. Regular maintenance is also a key focus. Standard pre-monsoon inspections and repairs are carried out every year, along with ongoing upkeep after the monsoon season, ensuring the road remains in safe and optimal condition. Over 9k victims attended toStory continues below this ad Data from Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services, (from 2014 since the launch of Dial 108 ambulances) suggested that timely assistance was provided to more than five lakh accident victims across the state. Of this in the last four years, approximately 9,000 persons who met with accidents were along Mumbai Pune and Samruddhi expressways. From January 2023 till March 2026, as per data, at least 1,606 persons who had met with accidents along the Mumbai Pune Expressway were attended to by the 108 Emergency Medical Services team. At Samruddhi Expressway since the launch in December 2022 till March 2026 a total of 7426 patients who had met with accidents were attended to by the Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of Ind