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
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.


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.

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