Goods-carrying vehicles will be barred from using the Missing Link section of the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai-Pune Expressway from November 1, 2026, while cars and light motor vehicles will face a maximum speed limit of 100 kmph and passenger buses will be restricted to 80 kmph under new Maharashtra traffic regulations.
The rules were issued through a notification signed on October 26 by Praveen Salunke, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Maharashtra State. The notification states that all goods-carrying vehicles, including light motor vehicles used for goods transport such as pickup vans and Tata Ace vehicles, must continue using the existing expressway alignment instead of the Missing Link route.
Vehicles carrying hazardous materials are also permanently and strictly prohibited from using the route. The notification specifically refers to vehicles transporting flammable, explosive and other dangerous substances, citing Ministry of Road Transport and Highways guidelines and tunnel safety protocols.
The Missing Link includes tunnel sections where traffic movement is subject to specific safety and technical requirements. The notification says permanent traffic regulations are necessary for public safety inside the tunnels, following technical considerations and discussions with stakeholders.
For vehicles permitted to use the route, the maximum speed for cars and light motor vehicles has been fixed at 100 kmph. Passenger buses and other passenger vehicles will have a maximum speed of 80 kmph. The notification also states that no cognisance of a speed-limit violation will be taken under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, if the detected speed is within five per cent of the prescribed maximum. The notified limits themselves remain 100 kmph and 80 kmph for the respective categories.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has been directed to install speed-limit boards at appropriate locations. The Maharashtra Highway Police’s Pune region separately advised motorists to check whether their vehicle category is eligible before entering the Missing Link, follow the posted limits and exercise particular caution inside the tunnels.
Goods and heavy-vehicle drivers have been asked to continue using the existing expressway route rather than attempting to enter the Missing Link. The new regulations will take effect on November 1, 2026, and will remain in force until further orders.
