Traffic congestion increases in Istanbul
In Istanbul, traffic congestion is occurring due to measures taken ahead of the transfer of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to the Çağlayan Courthouse. Traffic density on the European side, in particular, has reached 71 percent. The Istanbul Governor's Office closed some surrounding roads as a security measure during İmamoğlu's transfer to the courthouse.
12punto
In a statement issued by the Governor's Office, it was announced that in addition to the decisions taken on Wednesday, March 19, certain roads would be closed to traffic until 08:00 on Thursday, March 20. The closure of roads in Fatih, including Saraçhane and Vatan Police Headquarters roads, as well as roads around the Çağlayan Courthouse in Şişli-Kağıthane, caused heavy traffic. As of 18:30, before iftar, it was reported that traffic density across Istanbul reached 65 percent. It was stated that this rate rose to 71 percent on the European side, while it was 63 percent on the Anatolian side.
The Governor's Office announced the roads closed to traffic and alternative routes. Accordingly, main arteries such as Abide-i Hürriyet Street, Darülaceze Street, Taş Ocağı Street, and Piyalepaşa Boulevard will be closed during certain hours. As an alternative, it was suggested to use routes such as Çiftecevizler Street, Silahşör Street, Halaskargazi Street, and the D-100 highway.
In line with the Governor's Office's decision, Metro Istanbul closed the Çağlayan station of the M7 Yıldız-Mahmutbey Metro Line to operations as of 17:00. In the statement, it was noted that metro trains would continue their journeys without stopping at this station. No information has been shared yet regarding when the station will reopen.