The MSRDC confirmed in early April 2026 that the project's structural core, including two massive tunnels and two cable-stayed bridges, has been finished. While approach roads and tunnels were surfaced earlier, the bridges reached structural completion only in mid-March 2026, leaving the final bitumen layer pending just as the Strait of Hormuz descended into crisis. Load testing on the cable-stayed bridge is currently underway, yet the procurement of bitumen has become significantly difficult. Reports from Hindustan Times and Free Press Journal indicate prices have surged by over 50 per cent in recent weeks. Despite these soaring costs, contractors are continuing procurement at premium rates to avoid further delays to the historic timeline.
India's vulnerability in this sector is rooted in its status as the world's largest importer of bitumen. A March 2026 note by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), reported by Autocar Professional, highlights that nearly 40 per cent of India’s bitumen is now imported, with over 95 per cent originating from Gulf suppliers including the UAE, Oman, Iraq, and Iran. This essential trade flows entirely through the Strait of Hormuz, which fell silent on March 1 and 2 after shipping giants Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd suspended transits following escalated tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel. UNCTAD has labeled this the largest disruption to global energy supply since the 1970s.
The impact is being felt far beyond Maharashtra. In Himachal Pradesh, The News Himachal reports bitumen prices have doubled from Rs 44,000 to nearly Rs 88,000 per metric tonne, halting thousands of kilometres of roadwork. In Gurugram, The Tribune noted a 20 per cent price surge, forcing the shutdown of hot mix plants. Ind-Ra warns that state-level projects are particularly exposed because contractors maintain minimal inventory due to storage constraints. Furthermore, because bitumen is thinly weighted in India’s Wholesale Price Index, standard inflation-adjustment clauses provide little financial protection against such shocks.
Diplomatic efforts have struggled to provide stability. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for freedom of navigation on March 12, subsequent violence has flared. On April 18, the Middle East Forum reported that two Indian-flagged vessels came under fire from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats near Larak Island and were forced back. This fresh uncertainty shadows a project first proposed in a 1995 RITES feasibility study. Awarded in 2018 to Navayuga Engineering Co. Ltd. and Afcons Infrastructure Ltd., the Missing Link has already overcome the pandemic and valley winds of 180 kmph, as noted by MSRDC Managing Director Dr. Anil Kumar Gaikwad.
The stakes for the region remain immense. Once operational, the corridor will reduce the Mumbai-Pune distance by 5.7 kilometres and cut travel time by 30 minutes, allowing speeds of 120 kmph. Highway traffic police estimate 70 per cent of expressway traffic will shift to this route immediately. As the May 1 deadline looms, the completion of this engineering marvel depends on a final layer of tar sourced from a shipping lane at the heart of a global conflict, marking a dramatic conclusion to three decades of planning and eight years of construction.
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