Istanbul bridge maintenance to end Aug 22

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

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Maintenance work on Istanbul’s Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) Bridge will be completed almost a month earlier than scheduled to ease city-wide traffic issues, Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım said Aug. 16. 

Repairs were quickened and work on the bridge is scheduled to end by Aug. 22 rather than on the originally projected Sept. 18 deadline, Yıldırım said while attending an iftar dinner hosted by the İzmir branch of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Aegean province. 

According to the minister, maintenance work of the FSM bridge was not scheduled to end until Sept. 18. However, after seeing the difficulties repair works caused Istanbul locals the Transportation Ministry adjusted the schedule of repairs to finish the job by Aug. 30.  

"I've asked the people responsible for the job to push it a little more. Now the bridge will be opened on Aug. 22, when Istanbul locals return from their Ramadan Bayram holidays," Yıldırım said. 

Work on Istanbul's Haliç Bridge will continue as planned, Yıldırım said. "People are working to end the work [on Haliç Bridge] sooner than scheduled as well," he said.

Konak Tunnel approved

İzmir Municipal Council has approved a project to build a tunnel in İzmir, Yıldırım said, adding that the approval had been "expected." 

"I hope we will not face obstacles in this project and finish a tunnel that will alleviate the traffic load in central İzmir," he said. 

When reminded that engineering and architechtural chamberes opposed the project, Yıldırım said it was the duty of the chambers to voice their opinions and no one was keeping them from taking the matter to a court.