The Istanbul Strait Road Tunnel Crossing project in Turkey has passed a key milestone as the project secured the final funding and approvals needed to get the scheme moving into the full construction phase.
Arup has been working as the Lenders’ Technical Advisor on the proposed tunnel under the Bosporus Strait since 2009 when concessionaire, Avrasya Tuneli, was appointed preferred bidder, so passing ‘financial close’ is a landmark step for both the team and the client.
The project involves constructing a 5.4km long tunnel under the Bosporus Strait to alleviate the traffic congestion on the existing Bosporus bridges and is due to open to traffic in 2017. The tunnel will connect the historic peninsula on the European side with the existing motorway network near to Kadikoy on the Asian side.