Mount Bolu Tunnel

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Mount Bolu Tunnel (Turkish: Bolu Dağı Tüneli) is a 2.9 km long highway tunnel being constructed through the Bolu Mountain in Turkey. When finished the tunnel will reduce travel time between İstanbul and Ankara. Completion is projected for the spring of 2007.

The tunnel is being built as part of the Gümüşova-Gerede Highway within the Trans European Motorway project by the Turkish Bayındır and Italian Astaldi joint venture since April 16, 1993. The total cost of the tunnel is expected to be around US$300 million. It has twin bores, 17 m wide and will accommodate three lanes of traffic in each direction. The tube is in Istanbul-Ankara direction 2,871 m long and in the other direction 2,954 m.

The tunnel crosses the North Anatolian Fault and 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.

The tunnel's first tube, in Istanbul-Ankara direction, was opened to traffic with official ceremonies by the Prime Ministers of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Italy, Romano Prodi, on 23 January 2007. The openning of the other tube have to wait for the accomplishment of road works until spring 2007 due to hard winter conditions.^[1]

[edit] Construction Progress

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