Eurasia Tunnel breaks new record

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated in a written statement that the number of crossings in the Eurasia Tunnel, one of Turkey's largest mega-projects implemented through the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, is increasing day by day and that records are being broken.

Stating that the record of 86,359 vehicle units on October 26 was broken in the tunnel on November 10 with 86,576 vehicle units, Uraloğlu shared the information, "In October, an average of 77,760 vehicle units per day was reached, making it the month with the highest number of crossings to date. Thus, traffic in October exceeded the guaranteed traffic number by over 10 percent."

Minister Uraloğlu stated that a total of 119 million 434 thousand 869 crossings have been made through the tunnel since the first day it began operations, and that the total number of motorcycles passing through the tunnel, which has been open to motorcycle use as of May 1, 2022, is 848 thousand 313.

Pointing out that the Eurasia Tunnel contributes an average of 200 million dollars annually to the economy as a result of time, fuel, accident cost savings, and emission reductions, Uraloğlu noted the following:

"With its high technology, advanced engineering holistic project, and route connecting continents, it serves as a fast, economical, safe, comfortable, and environmentally friendly transportation alternative for crossing the Bosphorus. The Eurasia Tunnel has been an exemplary project that is always followed with interest by sectoral stakeholders around the world due to its features that include many firsts and successful applications in its construction. As a result of the meticulous examination of various criteria by the most respected organizations in its field, the project is one of our country's giant works that has been deemed worthy of a total of 14 awards, 5 of which are international construction awards."