Maharashtra’s First Cable-Stayed Highway Set to Revolutionize Mumbai-Pune Travel

In a landmark infrastructure project, Maharashtra is gearing up to unveil its first cable-stayed highway on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. This ambitious initiative includes a towering 180-meter-high bridge that will replace the challenging Khandala Ghat section, offering smoother travel.

Construction is advancing swiftly, with officials racing to finish a crucial phase before the monsoon season, which traditionally complicates building efforts. Once completed, the new route will trim the distance between Mumbai and Pune by 6 kilometers and alleviate congestion around Lonavala Ghat.

Initially targeting a December completion, delays have extended the timeline. Recently, Public Works Minister Meghna Sakore-Bordikar visited the site to push for accelerated progress.

The project features two four-lane tunnels connecting Khopoli to Kusgaon near Lonavala. The first tunnel stretches 8.87 kilometers, while the second is 1.67 kilometers long, with nearly all tunneling work already finished.

Building a cable-stayed bridge amidst the rugged Sahyadri mountains posed significant engineering challenges, especially during the 2024 monsoon season. Efforts are now focused on completing this phase before the next rainy season to prevent further setbacks.

Overall, the project stands at 90% completion, aiming for full operational status by August 2025. Once open, it promises to not only shorten travel distances but also reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune by around 30 minutes.