The much-awaited launch of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s ‘Missing Link’ led to hour-long jams on one of the state’s busiest routes on Friday, leaving thousands of commuters stuck since early morning. VIDEO | Raigad: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to inaugurate ‘Missing Link’ stretch on Mumbai - Pune Expressway on occasion of Maharashtra Day. Visuals of traffic snarl on the expressway. (Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7 ) pic.twitter.com/xxZqYfIbDE — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 1, 2026 The 13-km road between Khopoli and Lonavala, built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), was meant to ease traffic in the Khandala Ghat area and cut travel time. However, on the day of its launch, the new road was not opened to the public until the formal inauguration by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde —forcing all vehicles to move along the old ghat road during peak morning traffic—a stretch infamous for bottlenecks.…