Elevated connector linking Atal Setu to Mumbai-Pune Expressway 67% complete, says MMRDA

Construction of the 7.35-km elevated connector linking the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu) with the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is 67 per cent complete, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has said.

The project could cut travel time between south Mumbai and Pune by 60 to 90 minutes, as it will provide a direct route that bypasses the Panvel main junction. Once it opens, road travel between the two cities could become faster and congestion on the existing route could ease.

Work on the connector is under way in two sections, Chirle and Palaspe. At Chirle, foundation work is complete, and 153 of the 155 pillars have been built. Girder work is nearly complete, while deck slab work has reached 49 per cent. The railway overbridge in this section is 85 per cent ready.

At Palaspe, 71 per cent of the pile-group foundation work is done, with 15 of 21 groups ready. Pillar casting has reached 38 per cent, while girder casting is complete.

The elevated corridor will let Pune-bound vehicles avoid congestion at the large junctions near Panvel. It is part of a larger MMRDA regional connectivity plan aimed at improving links between Mumbai and surrounding areas.