Skip to main content

Major Turkish tunnel projects underway

A new tunnel will connect the coastal town of Rize with Erzurum in Turkey. The 14.3km Ovit Tunnel is costing US$270.3 million to construct and is due to open to traffic in 2016. Opening the tunnel will reduce the journey time between Rize and Erzurum as the new route will cut the distance from 250-200km. The new route will also provide greater safety for drivers, particularly in winter time as conditions along the existing route can be difficult. So far around 12km of the tunnel has been constructed. Meanw
September 16, 2014 Read time: 1 min
A new tunnel will connect the coastal town of Rize with Erzurum in Turkey. The 14.3km Ovit Tunnel is costing US$270.3 million to construct and is due to open to traffic in 2016. Opening the tunnel will reduce the journey time between Rize and Erzurum as the new route will cut the distance from 250-200km. The new route will also provide greater safety for drivers, particularly in winter time as conditions along the existing route can be difficult. So far around 12km of the tunnel has been constructed.

Meanwhile in Turkey’s commercial centre, Istanbul, a new road tunnel will connect Kasimpasa with Sutluce. The tunnel is due to open to traffic in March 2015.

Related Content

  • Turkey mega project opening for tender
    January 12, 2017
    The tender process is commencing for a US$5 billion contract to construct a bridge and a road network of roads in Turkey. The bridge will span the Dardanelles waterway and the project looks likely to attract strong interest from several major international construction firms. The Çanakkale 1915 Bridge will be located at the western end of the Sea of Marmara, a short distance from Çanakkale. The 3.6km long bridge will feature a main span of 2.023km, making it one of the longest suspension bridges in the worl
  • US$270 million Indian road tunnel open
    January 16, 2025
    A key US$270 million Indian road tunnel is now open.
  • Austria's new tunnel meets safety regulations
    July 13, 2012
    New safety regulations and high traffic volumes require new tunnel construction all across Europe. Mike Woof reports Anew highway tunnel now being built in Austria will boost traffic volumes and safety standards on a key European route. The existing Pfänder Tunnel lies close to Austria's borders with Germany and Switzerland and carries a heavy traffic volume, so a new parallel tunnel is under construction to help spread this load, increasing capacity as well as safety. Stringent tunnel safety standards have
  • Black sea countries complete preparations for implementation of Black Sea Ring project
    August 23, 2016
    The Black Sea Ring Road project will improve transport connections for the region - Eugene Gerden writes. Russia has officially started implementation of a project, known as the Black Sea Ring Road, which involves building a four-lane highway system connecting the countries surrounding the Black Sea. The Black Sea Ring Road is a substantial project, a highway measuring some 7,140km in all. Among the countries participating in the project are Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Greece and