The scope, route, targets and history of Big Istanbul tunnel:

Project overview

• Owner: Transport Ministry
• Project cost: USD 3.5 bn (expected)
• Contractor: Preliminary analysis continue.
• Duration: 5 yıl (tahmini) days

Route

Stops/connections

İncirli (connection to metrobus and Bakırköy-İncirli metro) – Zeytinburnu (connection to Aksaray-Havalimanı/Kirazlı metro and Kabataş-Bağcılar tram) – Topkapı – Vatan Cad. – Edirnekapı (connection to Topkapı-Sultançiftliği tram) – Halıcıoğlu – Okmeydanı – Çağlayan – Mecidiyeköy (connection to Yenikapı-Hacıosman ve Kabataş-Mahmutbey metros) – Gayrettepe (connection to Yenikapı-Hacıosman metro) – Küçüksu – Altunizade (connection to Üsküdar-Sancaktepe metroı) – Ünalan (connection to Kadıköy-Tavşantepe metro) – Söğütlüçeşme (connection to Marmaray)

Project details

The tunnel project that connects two sides of Istanbul by a 3-storey tunnel.

Both cars and railcars will use the Big Istanbul Tunnel. The tunnel will have a diameter of 16.8m. The lower storey will be used by metro, and others will be used by cars. Length of tunnel is 6.5km. The deepest point will be 110m under sea level, and 45m under the bottom of Bosphorus.

The roads passing through tunnel will be connected to TEM highway in each side. In addition to big tunnel, 9.65 km long tunnels will be constructed for connections. The daily capacity will be 120k cars.

The metro that will use the tunnel is a new line to be constructed, Incirli-Sogutlucesme, which will mainly follow the metrobus line. The metro will be alternative to metrobus which is currently used overcapacity. The metro line will go through underground except the overpassing of Golden Horn.

• Line length: 31 km
• Travel time: 40 min

Targets

• 1.5 mn passengers will travel through tunnel on rail.
• The tunnel will be operated during agreed period by contractor (Build-Operate-Transfer).

Cover photo: Ulaştırma Bakanlığı ©