Overview
- A landslide near Tunnel 2 blocked the Pune‑bound carriageway and shut the Missing Link for more than 18 hours, with the disruption traced to heavy overnight monsoon rains.
- After a day‑long clearance operation using heavy machinery and contractor teams, MSRDC and safety engineers reopened two of the four Pune‑bound lanes while water flow across the other lanes prevents full restoration.
- MSRDC said the tunnel itself is structurally safe and that visible damage was limited to a retaining structure and the tunnel’s external false frame, which together guided the decision to permit partial traffic.
- Officials attempted drone surveys but poor weather limited aerial checks, and MSRDC has requested IIT Bombay to carry out a fresh safety and geological study to recommend slope‑stability fixes.
- The early failure, coming nine weeks after the Rs ~7,000‑crore Missing Link was inaugurated, has intensified public and expert calls for independent audits, clearer accountability, and closer scrutiny of design and geotechnical assessments.