Overview
- The 13.3 km bypass, inaugurated Friday on Maharashtra Day, opened to Pune-bound traffic while the Mumbai-bound arm stayed shut temporarily for removal of the ceremony setup.
- For the initial phase through October 31, only cars and buses can use the bypass, hazardous cargo is barred permanently, heavy trucks face a six-month wait pending a safety review, and no extra tolls were announced.
- Officials say the new alignment trims about 6 km from the route and 20–30 minutes from trips by bypassing the accident‑prone Khandala ghat.
- The corridor includes twin tunnels about 22–23.5 metres wide that received a Guinness certificate as the world’s widest, plus a 650‑metre cable‑stayed bridge with 182‑metre pylons over Tiger Valley.
- Hours before opening, lane closures for the event and a long‑weekend rush caused multi‑hour jams on the old ghat road, drawing criticism and a public apology from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.