Bridge work brings traffic in Istanbul almost to halt

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Foreigners and locals in Istanbul are forced to endure major traffic chaos after the Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) Bridge on the Bosphorus and the Haliç Bridge over the Golden Horn are partially closed for repair work. The closures cause long delays and traffic is almost stopped across the metropolitan city. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL

Istanbul residents were forced to endure major traffic chaos yesterday after the Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) Bridge and the Haliç Bridge were partially closed for repair work.

The closures caused long delays, and traffic was almost stopped in some locations.

Traveling the 23 kilometers between the FSM Bridge and İstoç neighborhood in Bağcılar district took 140 minutes instead of the 20 minutes under normal conditions, according to reports.

Passengers who tried to use public transport had to jump over barriers to reach transit vehicles due to closed side roads.

Meanwhile, Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu apologized to Istanbul residents for the traffic jams.

“It is our duty to solve the problems of the city. I would like to thank the workers but I also [want to] apologize to Istanbul residents who suffered in the traffic jams,” Mutlu said.

Two of the eight lanes on the FSM Bridge will be closed to traffic until Sept. 17 for roadwork while two of the lanes on the Haliç Bridge over the Golden Horn will also undergo construction work.

Sections connecting the Haliç Bridge to the E-5 highway broke off on May 23.