The 18 Çanakkale Bridge, which was put into service on the 107th anniversary of the 1915 March Çanakkale Naval Victory, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-Kyum, will have a strategic position in global trade.
Adil Karaismailoğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, who gave information about the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge inaugurated by President Erdoğan and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-Kyum, said that Turkey's 1915 Çanakkale Bridge project is one step further to become one of the world's largest in investment, production, exports and employment. He said he was getting close.
Minister Karaismailoğlu stated that with the entry into service of the highway and the bridge, the transportation, production, industry, trade, tourism and service sectors of Western Anatolia and the Aegean, and even the Western Mediterranean Region, together with Thrace, will revive much more, and continued his words as follows.
“This project will contribute to the uninterrupted trade route from Beijing to London. Our highway has shortened by 40 kilometers compared to the existing road. The passage time through the Dardanelles, which took hours by ferry, is now only 6 minutes. Our project was completed 1,5 years ago with the outstanding success shown in the construction works. Even this project alone is a good example that shows how beneficial the build-operate-transfer projects made with public-private cooperation are on a global scale.”
Minister Karaismailoğlu, referring to his aims in transportation and infrastructure, concluded his words as follows:
“Our aim is; It is a safe, economical, comfortable, environmentally friendly, uninterrupted, balanced, smart and sustainable transportation system that contributes to the competitiveness of our country and to increase the quality of life of the society. We have further clarified the new Turkey photo we are aiming for. We have an ambitious process focused on holistic development, shaped by the dynamics of mobility, digitalization and logistics, and aiming to integrate the world into this geography, and we successfully manage this process under your leadership in every mode of transportation. 1915 Çanakkale Bridge will inspire new technical breakthroughs both in our country and in the world.”
The importance of the project
Presidency's Directorate of Communications announced that the "1915 Çanakkale Bridge" and "Malkara-Çanakkale Highway" projects have an investment cost of 2 billion 545 million Euros.
The consortium formed by Limak and Yapı Merkezi from Turkey, DL E&C and SK ecoplant from South Korea won the tender held on January 26, 2017 for a total period of 16 years, 2 months and 12 days.
In project scope; In addition to the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, 2 approach viaducts, 2 reinforced concrete viaducts, 12 bridges, 43 overpasses, one of which is ecological, 40 underpasses, 236 culverts of various sizes, 12 junctions, 4 highway service facilities, 2 maintenance operation centers and 5 A fare collection station was built.
With the completion of the road that will connect the Marmara Region and the North Aegean together with the bridge, uninterrupted access will be provided from Europe to the southwest of Turkey, to industrial regions such as Izmir and Aydın.
Strengthened against earthquake risk
In terms of earthquake risk, while the tower foundations of the bridge were reinforced with steel piles, an immersed caisson type foundation positioned on the ground was chosen.
Considering the most unfavorable wind effects, the bridge was designed to be resistant to earthquakes, taking into account the earthquake conditions of the region.
Before the tower foundation caisson was lowered to the seabed, ground reclamation was carried out below the seabed to improve the sub-foundation ground.
Measures have been taken for its effects on sea creatures.
In addition to the local Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) at international standards was carried out within the scope of the project.
As part of the public and stakeholder consultation process, 1.000 ESIA briefing meetings were held with the participation of more than 7 people; Opinions on the ESIA Report were received from more than 10 institutions; Stakeholders were informed with posters, brochures, newspaper advertisements and the Expropriation Information Guide.
As part of the ESIA, the necessary precautions were taken as research on marine life showed that piling works on bridge tower foundations may adversely affect some dolphin species migrating using the Dardanelles Strait.
Since it was determined that the mussel species Pinna Nobilis, which is a protected species in the Mediterranean, could be affected, a study was carried out with Çanakkale 18 Mart University on this issue. In this study, over 1.000 protected Pinna Nobilis were moved to neighboring safe areas.
Pile works were stopped 5 times due to dolphin crossings and a total of more than 2 hours were waited for dolphin crossings.
5 trees are planted for every tree affected by the project
Within the scope of the project, it was committed to plant 5 trees for each affected tree. Working together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Seeds of endemic plant species on the route were collected and preserved.
In the future, the collected seeds will be forwarded to the Turkish Seed Gene Bank and recorded, and at the same time, studies will be carried out for their dissemination in the region.
The project will contribute 2,44 billion Euros per year to the national income.
Thanks to the 1915 Çanakkale Project, the highway ring in the Marmara region will be completed. In this way, while the transportation of the region will improve, its integration with international corridors will be strengthened.
All these developments will have direct, indirect and triggering effects on many economic activities in the region and in the country. According to the economic impact analysis, the project; It will contribute 2,44 billion euros to national income and 5,4 billion euros to production. It is also expected to have an annual impact on employment of 118 people.
With the reduction of the transportation in the Dardanelles to 6 minutes thanks to the bridge, significant annual savings will be achieved from time, fuel and carbon emissions. A total of 382 million euros will be saved annually, with 31,3 million euros, 1,9 million euros from fuel and 415 million euros from the environment. Thanks to the completion of the project 1,5 years early, the country's economy saved 622,5 million Euros.
National and international tourism will be revived
Thanks to the realization of the project, one of the important goals of Vision 2023 will be achieved. Highway integration in western Turkey, an important part of the One Belt One Road Project, will be completed.
There will be a new alternative to the Istanbul Strait passage. Industry, trade and service sectors in Thrace and Western Anatolia will gain momentum.
National and international tourism will be revived. Cultural interaction, as well as commercial relations with European countries, the Balkans, and especially Greece and Bulgaria, will be positively affected.
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