Mount Bolu Tunnel

Mount Bolu Tunnel
Mount Bolu Tunnel
Overview
Location Mount Bolu
Coordinates 40°44′45″N 31°27′19″E / 40.74596°N 31.45523°E / 40.74596; 31.45523Coordinates: 40°44′45″N 31°27′19″E / 40.74596°N 31.45523°E / 40.74596; 31.45523
Mt. Bolu Tunnel is located in Turkey
{{{alt}}}
Mt. Bolu Tunnel
Mt. Bolu Tunnel (Turkey)
Route O-4 E80
Start Kaynaşlı
End Yumrukaya
Operation
Work begun 1993
Opened 2007
Operator General Directorate of Highways
Traffic automotive
Technical
Length 2,788 m (9,147 ft) (east bound)
2,954 m (9,692 ft) (west bound)
Number of lanes 2 x 3
Operating speed 70 km/h (43 mph)
Highest elevation 860 m (2,820 ft)
Lowest elevation 810 m (2,660 ft)
Width 2 x 17 m (56 ft)
Grade 1,7%

Mount Bolu Tunnel (Turkish: Bolu Dağı Tüneli) is a 2.9 km (1.8 mi) long highway tunnel constructed through the Bolu Mountain in Turkey between Kaynaşlı and Yumrukaya.[1]

Construction

The tunnel is part of the Gümüşova-Gerede Highway O-4 E80 within the Trans-European Motorway project, which was carried out by the Turkish Bayındır and Italian Astaldi joint venture since April 16, 1993.[2] The total cost of the tunnel is about US$300 million. It has twin 17 m (56 ft) wide bores and carries three lanes of traffic in each direction.

The tunnel crosses the North Anatolian Fault. The November 12, 1999 Düzce earthquake (MW=7.2) caused substantial damage to the tunnel and viaducts, which were under construction at the time of the earthquake.[2]

On September 4, 2005 the excavation of the tunnel in the Istanbul-Ankara direction was finished. The excavation for the tunnel in the Ankara-Istanbul direction was completed by the beginning of August 2005.

Opening to traffic

The Istanbul-Ankara direction (2,788 m (9,147 ft)) was opened to traffic on January 23, 2007 by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.[2] Four months following the initial opening, on May 7, the Ankara-Istanbul direction (2,954 m (9,692 ft)) became operational.[3]

Speed in the tunnel is limited to 70 km/h (43 mph).[4]

References

  1. ^ "Bolu Dağı Tüneli yarın açılıyor" (in Turkish). Sabah. 2007-01-22. http://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2007/01/22/eko95.html. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  2. ^ a b c "Bolu Tüneli 14 yıl sonra açıldı" (in Turkish). NTV MSNBC. 2007-01-24. http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/397685.asp. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  3. ^ "Bolu Tüneli’nde ikinci tüp hizmete açıldı" (in Turkish). NTV MSNBC. 2009-05-09. http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/407362.asp. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  4. ^ Toydemir, Ali (2009-02-10). "Bolu Tüneli'nde ölüm oyunu" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/10970766.asp. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 


Stub icon This article about transport in Turkey is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.