The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has decided to conduct an independent safety audit of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway's Missing Link by experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) after a landslide hit the newly opened stretch on Monday. The assessment will begin once weather conditions improve and is aimed at verifying whether the heavy rainfall and landslide caused any structural damage to the project.
The decision comes amid growing concerns over the project's safety and construction quality following the landslide near the exit of Tunnel 2. Although reports initially suggested that a road slab had collapsed, MSRDC has maintained that no structural component of the Missing Link was damaged. According to the agency, rocks and debris fell from a hillside about 200 metres above the roadway, damaging a protective structure at the tunnel entrance but leaving the main bridge and roadway intact.
MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad said the IIT team will inspect the entire stretch after the rain subsides to determine whether the landslide has affected the structural integrity of the project. The findings are expected to confirm whether the Missing Link is safe for continued operations.
Authorities have also urged commuters to avoid non-essential travel on the Mumbai–Pune corridor until weather conditions improve and normal traffic movement is fully restored.
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