The Maharashtra highway police has initiated action against motorists stopping on the newly-opened 'missing link' route of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for selfies and photographs, an official said on Sunday. The 13.3 km-long 'missing link', which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated on May 1 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Helmed by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley, all adding to the scenic beauty of the ghats, prompting some motorists to halt their vehicles to click photographs and selfies.
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The highway police has placed a ban on halting on the route for selfies and photographs, and have warned that violators could face fines and even criminal cases.
"Several instances have come to light where travellers halted their vehicles on the high-speed corridor for photography. Such actions pose a serious safety risk, as vehicles on the stretch typically move at speeds of 100-120 kilometres per hour. Abrupt stopping in the middle of the road could lead to accidents," an official pointed out.
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He said the new stretch has significantly improved traffic flow between the state's two biggest cities.
Earlier, the control room would receive 10 to 15 calls daily related to accidents or traffic congestion, but since the missing link became operational, no such calls have been reported, the official added.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)