giant caterpillar unites two continents

PRESS RELEASE
19 April 2014
GIANT CATERPILLAR UNITES TWO CONTINENTS
The tunnel –boring works under the Bosphorus as part of the Eurasia Tunnel Project
(Istanbul Strait Road Tunnel) began with a ceremony attended by the Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan and Transportation, Maritime and Communication Minister Lütfi Elvan.
The works under the seabed will be done by a specially-designed Tunnel Boring Machine
with a length of 120 meters and a weight of 3,400 tons. The design, construction and
operation of the Eurasia Tunnel will be conducted by Avrasya Tüneli İşletme İnşaat ve
Yatırım A.Ş. (ATAŞ) founded by Yapı Merkezi of Turkey and SK E&C of South Korea. Eurasia
Tunnel will reduce the driving time between Göztepe and Kazlıçeşme down to 15 minutes.
The tunnel-boring works of the project, which was awarded by the Republic of Turkey
Transportation, Maritimes and Communication Ministry’s General Directorate of the
Infrastructural Investments with Build-Operate-Transfer model, aiming to contribute to the
solution of the traffic problem of Istanbul by adding an alternative to the crossing of the
Bosphorus by land, started with a ceremony held on Saturday, April 19, 2014. The ceremony
at Haydarpaşa construction site was attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,
Transportation, Maritime and Communication Minister Lütfi Elvan, former Transportation,
Maritime and Communication Minister Binali Yıldırım, Republic of South Korea’s Ambassador
Lee Sangkyu, Infrastructural Investments General Manager Metin Tahan, ATAŞ Chairman
Başar Arıoğlu, ATAŞ CEO Seok Jae Seo, the representatives of the financial organizations
providing loans for the project, and the other invited guests. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan started the digging work to be conducted under the seabed by pressing the button
of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which was designed specifically for the project.
Bosphorus to be crossed with a highway tunnel for the first time
Istanbul Strait Road Tunnel Project will connect the Asian and European sides of the city
Istanbul via a highway tunnel to cross from under the seabed. The project which will unite
the Kazlıçeşme-Göztepe line, which has an intense traffic, will cover a total of 14.6
kilometers when completed. 5.4 kilometer length of the project will be consisted of twostoreyed tunnel to be constructed from under the seabed, while road expansion and
improvement will be made in the remaining 9.2 kilometers of the project both on the
European and Asian sides. The time of journey in this part of the city which has a very heavy
traffic will fall from 100 minutes to 15 minutes and the traffic will also become safer and
more comfortable. ATAŞ was awarded the contract for designing, constructing and operating
the project for about 26 years. The government will make no expenses for the project, and
1/2√
its sole function under the project will be to supervise the construction and operation.
Eurasia Tunnel will be transferred to the government upon the completion of the operation
term.
The project will be realized with Build-Operate-Transfer model with a financing of about 1.3
billion dollars. An international finance was secured with a sum of 960 million dollars. Yapı
Merkezi and SK E&C provided the equity of 285 million dollars.
Tunnel-Boring Machine (Yıldırım Bayezid) is produced in Germany specially
The digging works from under the seabed are being conducted with a Tunnel-Boring
Machine (TBM) which has been designed specifically for this project. The TBM which was
produced in Germany was brought to Turkey for its assembly. The tunnel-boring machine
which has already started working in the Asian side proceed by excavating from about 25
meters under the seabed and building the internal walls. Daily speed of progress will be 8 to
10 meters on average. The tunnel-boring machine used in the project is the second in the
world among the tunnel-boring machines that use bentonite slurry with its 11 bar pressure,
and sixth with its 13.7 meter excavation diameter.
The main part of the machine which digs the ground, ensures the balance, and creates the
body of the tunnel by uniting the precast segment parts is 13.5 meter long, but its length
passes 120 meters in total together with the 4 support machines including all the power and
other support units. The total weight of the machine is about 3,400 tons, while the heaviest
part connected to the machine at a single time is cutting head which is 450 tons.
About ATAŞ
Avrasya Tüneli İşletme İnşaat ve Yatırım A.Ş. (ATAŞ) was founded in 2009 for the realization of the
İstanbul Strait Road Tunnel Project. Yapı Merkezi of Turkey and SK E&C of South Korea are the two
partners of ATAŞ. Yapı Merkezi is among the leading construction companies in Turkey and the world
which has implemented many universal pioneering projects based on its 50 years of experience and
know-how. SK E&C is the construction and engineering branch of SK Group, the third biggest business
group of South Korea. Both Yapı Merkezi and SK E&C are world-class companies which have realized
very successful infrastructural and transport projects in diverse parts of the world.
www.avrasyatuneli.com
For more information:
Zarakol İletişim 0212 217 29 99
Gizem Boy - [email protected]
2/2√