Third bridge over Bosphorus to open on Aug 26

The bridge, named the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, after the Ottoman sultan famous for his conquests in the eastern world, will have eight road lanes and two rail tracks. 

The third bridge over the Bosphorus is expected to be about 1.4 kilometers in length and 59 meters in width, making it the widest in the world when it is completed.

According to officials, the “longest suspension bridge to have a railway system” in the world will lead $1.75 billion in savings annually in terms of time and energy. All trucks and heavy-duty vehicles will be directed to the bridge when it is opened.        

The 116-km long highway, which is built as part of the Third Bridge and Northern Marmara Highway Project, includes 35 viaducts. The first phase of the highway project has been completed by the private sector, which invested an approximate $3 billion, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The two other phases will involve the construction of highways and linking roads amounting to a total length of 257 km, expected to be completed and available for public use in 2018.        

The groundbreaking ceremony for Istanbul’s $3-billion third bridge was held in May 2013. 

A number of environmentalist groups have protested the plans, saying the bridge and its link roads would destroy forested areas in Istanbul’s north, some of the last remaining green areas around the rapidly expanding city.