Skip to main content

New Turkey tunnels for Istanbul and Izmir

New tunnel connections are to be built in Istanbul and Izmir, along with a new bridge in Izmir. Work is due to start shortly on the Grand Istanbul Tunnel Project. This will be a three level tunnel and should help lower congestion in Istanbul, which suffers amongst the worst traffic jams of any city in the world.
May 31, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
RSSNew tunnel connections are to be built in Istanbul and Izmir, along with a new bridge in Izmir. Work is due to start shortly on the Grand Istanbul Tunnel Project. This will be a three level tunnel and should help lower congestion in Istanbul, which suffers amongst the worst traffic jams of any city in the world.


Yuksel Project International will carry out the necessary consultancy, engineering and preparatory services. Test drilling will be the first stage of the work to evaluate the geology of the planned route. The tunnel will stretch 6.5km underneath the Bosporus Strait and will connect the European and Asian sides of the city.

The link will feature two decks carrying traffic in either direction under the Bosporus while the third level will carry a rail connection. The new tunnel and bridge in Izmir will be linked and will form part of a new route around the city. Izmir’s congestion problem can be severe at peak periods and the new connections are intended to cut traffic delays.

Related Content

  • Kenya’s elevated highway gets a green light from the World Bank
    August 18, 2016
    The World Bank agreed to finance construction of Kenya’s first double deck highway, according to media reports. Construction is set to begin by the end of this year on the toll road to link Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. Peter Mundinia the director-general of the Kenya National Highways Authority, explained that construction of the all-elevated dual carriageway will be in three phases. The first will begin with 6.5km running from the airport to Likoni Road and the
  • Widening and upgrade for highway in Nicaragua’s capital
    January 27, 2017
    Nicaragua is continuing to develop its highway network, this time with a major project planned for the capital, Managua. A loan worth close to US$107.5 million from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) is to help pay for the project. The work calls for the upgrade and widening of the Pista Juan Pablo II route running through Managua. The 9.55km stretch of road will benefit from three additional lanes, helping to boost capacity and reduce congestion and delays at peak periods. Safety pr
  • Turkey’s Izmir-Istanbul highway project underway
    May 23, 2013
    Work is progressing on the new highway being constructed in Turkey to connect commercial centre Istanbul with the coastal city of İzmir. This complex highway project runs from the north to the south of the country and includes several novel structures along the route, including the suspension Bridge 1. The project forms part of the Trans European North-South Motorway Project (TEM) and is of international importance as a trade route. The new suspension bridge will reduce traffic volumes on the existing Istan
  • The world’s longest suspension bridge
    June 24, 2024
    The world’s longest suspension bridge is the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey. This engineering marvel links Gelibolu with Lapseki, forming a key section of the 101km highway linking Malkara with Çanakkale. *Article produced in partnership with the General Directorate of Highways (KGM), Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Republic of Türkiye.