A section of the 19-km Missing Link tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway collapsed after heavy rainfall on Monday, barely nine weeks after its inauguration. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) built the ₹7,000-crore project to cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 20–25 minutes.

Thousands of commuters were stranded for hours on both sides of the expressway. Rainwater flowed onto the highway, causing waterlogging and raising the risk of vehicles losing control. More than 100 tonnes of debris accumulated and was cleared by fire brigade and other government personnel. MSRDC advised people to avoid both Mumbai-Pune and Pune-Mumbai stretches until normal traffic resumed.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attributed the landslide to unprecedented rainfall. Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged corruption and poor construction; Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged the project cost had risen by several thousand crore rupees and said potholes had appeared on the new road.

Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and old Mumbai-Pune highway was stopped on Monday, July 6, after landslides and heavy rain in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section; no casualties were reported at the landslide sites. Debris blocked the expressway between a tunnel opening and a cable-stayed bridge on the 13.3-km Missing Link, which bypasses Khandala Ghat. Inaugurated on May 1, the link cost ₹7,000 crore. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said crews were clearing debris, but rain and gusty winds hampered work; reopening status was unclear. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said initial rainfall helps test durability. Opposition leaders criticised the project’s cost, safety and condition. Rain-related incidents killed 13 people in Mumbai, Palghar and Raigad over three to four days, including at least eight in Mumbai on Sunday. Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad were under a red alert, with gusts of 50–60 km/h forecast. Schools in Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Navi Mumbai closed. Mumbai-Pune trains were suspended; 16 were cancelled and nine diverted. Mumbai local trains were delayed, and Karjat-Khopoli services suspended after ballast washed away. Andheri reported waterlogging.

Heavy overnight rain on Monday, July 6, 2026, disrupted rail services in Mumbai and roads in Pune. A major landslide and structural damage affected a section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which was shut; highways were also blocked.

A section of the newly constructed Missing Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway collapsed on Monday, 6 July 2026, after relentless rainfall in the Lonavala region. The collapse caused major traffic disruption amid a red alert.

Heavy rain on Monday, July 6, disrupted Mumbai-Pune connectivity. Traffic on both carriageways of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune highway was suspended until further notice; flooding and landslides made several stretches impassable, including parts of Maval and Tamhini Ghat. The expressway was shut between the Connecting Link and Missing Link after a concrete pillar collapsed onto the carriageway.

A landslide near Tunnel 2 diverted Pune-bound traffic on the 13-km Khopoli-Kusgaon Missing Link from 4 am. Opened two months ago, it cuts travel distance by 6 km and travel time by 25–30 minutes.

Landslides near Thakurwadi and between Khandala and Monkey Hill affected all three tracks in the Bhor Ghat section. At least 16 trains were cancelled and nine diverted. The IMD issued an orange alert for Mumbai and a red alert for Pune. Schools and colleges closed in Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Palghar districts. Police advised commuters to postpone travel.