Details revealed of the first bridge of Canal İstanbul project

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Shortly after President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the construction of the bridges of the Canal İstanbul project would start this month, details have emerged of the first bridge to be constructed as part of the project.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), foundations for the 1,618-meter bridge are expected to be laid in the last week of June 2021 with a ceremony to be attended by President and AKP Chair Erdoğan, according to the Ministry of Transportarion and Infrastructure.

The cable-stayed bridge, the first to be constructed along the route of the canal, will be built to provide a crossing around Sazlıdere in northwestern Edirne province as part of the Northern Marmara Highway Project's Başakşehir-Bahçeşehir-Nakkaş section, including connecting roads.

The bridge, whose main span is set to be 440 meters long, will have 136 stay cables, 272 anchorages, and four lanes of traffic in both directions. The bridge's 196-meter towers will be built with "diamond" geometry.

NOTE: Life defenders and several occupational organizations as well as the opposition, including İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been objecting to the project that foresees an artificial sea-level waterway between the Black Sea and Marmara Sea, which has been recently troubled with the mucilage or 'sea snot' problem.

As part of the Canal Istanbul project, which was announced in 2011, a total of six new bridges will be built. The project's total cost is projected at 15 billion dollars, with the six bridges carrying a price tag of 1.4 billion dollars. The construction of the canal, with a daily passage capacity of 185 vessels, is expected to be completed in 2025-2026.

The planned 45-kilometer (28-mile) canal will be built west of the city center on the European side of the İstanbul province.

Canal İstanbul project

PPresident and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement in 2011, when he was still the Prime Minister.

In his speech, he mentioned "a new İstanbul" objective. Presented as a "crazy project", the plan referred to 'Canal İstanbul' for the first time.

What is in the 'crazy project'?

The basic information as to the project was shared with the public at a press conference in Haliç Congress Center in 2011. The plan foresaw an artificial sea-level waterway that would connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The most important aspect of the project was the integration of transportation. The construction of 3rd Bosphorus bridge foreseen by the project has been completed.

In May 2016, 32 articles of 20 laws were amended. An additional article added to the Pasture Law has paved the way for the region's zoning for construction.

With another amendment introduced to the law, it has been understood that the access roads to the Canal İstanbul will be toll roads.

Ahmet Arslan, the then Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications, announced the route of the project in 2018. He said that the canal would form an artificial waterway from the Black Sea to Marmara Sea, covering 45 kilometers from Küçükçekmece Lake through Küçükçekmece-Sazlıdere-Durusu corridor.

The process of Environmental Impact Assessment

The Board of Inspection and Survey of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report of the Canal İstanbul project on December 23, 2019.

Accordingly, the report was presented to the public at the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and İstanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization for 10 days. The citizens submitted petitions of objection against the project within this period.

On January 17, 2020, Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum announced that they approved the EIA report of Canal İstanbul.

(RT/SD)