Overview
- Officials said Monday the May 1 opening is in doubt after bitumen shortages stalled surfacing on the two new cable-stayed bridges.
- MSRDC reported two weeks of failed procurement and a price jump of more than 50% as imports from Iraq, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait slowed.
- Light diesel oil for paving machines is also scarce, and contractors are buying supplies at higher rates to avoid stoppages.
- To keep the deadline alive, MSRDC told contractors to finish works by April 25 with load testing by April 30, though a delay is still on the table.
- The 13.3-km Khopoli–Kusgaon link, with two long tunnels and two 650-metre bridges, aims to cut Mumbai–Pune trips by 25–30 minutes once the last surfacing is done.