Mumbai-Pune Missing Link Gets Swiss Rockfall Protection Mesh After Landslide; 15% Work Completed

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has commenced the installation of Swiss-made iron mesh as a preventive measure against rockfalls on the landslide-affected stretch of the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link expressway. The Swiss technology, renowned for its rockfall mitigation expertise, is being installed by Navyuga Engineering Company Ltd, the contractor for that specific portion of the Missing Link project.

As of now, roughly 15% of the protective measures have been put in place, with the remaining work to follow.

The rockfall incident occurred on July 6, when a massive boulder crashed at the tunnel mouth of the Missing Link due to exceptionally heavy rainfall, causing traffic to come to a halt. It took around 20 hours for the MSRDC to clear the affected area and restore traffic flow. The region had received about 670 mm of rain, triggering the landslide and rockfall.

The new rockfall protection system is designed to safeguard against boulders weighing up to 2,500 metric tonnes falling from a height of 52 meters at an impact speed of 115 km per hour. The mesh's primary function is to impede falling rocks, while supplementary barriers serve as a secondary defense against rocks that might breach the mesh and reach the roadway.

The rockfall protection design was prepared based on recommendations from IIT Bombay. Rock bolting has been carried out up to a height of approximately 15 meters, with the hill at the location rising to around 150 meters, emphasizing the critical need for slope stabilization and rockfall protection. The Missing Link, an engineering marvel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, aims to bypass the existing winding section between Khopoli and Kusgaon, reducing the distance between the two cities by approximately six kilometers and shortening the travel time by around 20–25 minutes.