India, May 2 -- It is unusual for the chief minister to offer an apology while inaugurating a mega-infrastructure project but, on Friday, Devendra Fadnavis had little choice. The project, famously called the 'Missing Link' connecting Khopoli and Lonavala, and cutting travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 minutes, was opened to the public on May 1, or Maharashtra Day.

The inauguration was marked by traffic gridlock and chaos as parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which connects to the Missing Link. A lane one the expressway was closed for VIP movement and other arrangements due to the inauguration. Add to that a surge in traffic volumes due to the long weekend, and restless motorists stalled for hours in the sizzling summer heat, and...