Selfie takers flock to Istanbul's third bridge, blocking traffic

As crowds gathered, traffic was blocked both over the bridge and on the connection roads, particularly on the afternoon of Aug. 27.

Similar selfie hysteria was seen last month when the Osman Gazi Bridge, the fourth-longest suspension bridge in the world, which aims to drastically cut travel between Istanbul and the Aegean resort of İzmir, was opened to traffic after half-a-decade of construction. Many of those selfie-takers were later given fines for disregarding highway traffic rules. 

The third bridge over the Bosphorus has eight road lanes, two rail tracks and is the longest suspension bridge with a railway system in the world. 

The Turkish government has told operators that around 135,000 automobiles will use the new bridge each day.

It is officially named the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, after the 15th century Ottoman sultan famous for conquests in the eastern world, who is sometimes referred to in English as Selim the Grim.