Maintenance on Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge causes long traffic jam in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Two lanes on Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge, officially known as the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, were closed to traffic on June 12 for maintenance, causing chaos to the city’s already congested traffic.

The vehicles on the roads leading to the bridge, which is also known as the First Bridge, especially in the Acıbadem district, came to a standstill, with average speed of vehicles decreasing to almost six kilometers per hour. 

The aftermath of hours of gridlock on the first day of the week left the public fleeing to alternative transportation routes, causing even more congestion at peak times on the alternative second bridge, also known as the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.

It was for this reason that a high traffic flow density was also seen in the districts surrounding the second bridge, especially in Ataşehir, with average speed of vehicles decreasing to almost 20 kilometers per hour, according to daily Yeni Şafak. 

Many locals ended up being late to their works, with the traffic jam expected to continue even during the afternoon.  

The maintenance works will be carried out 24-hours-a-day in three separate shifts with a team of 82 personnel and will last until August 31.