Uraloğlu: Eurasia Tunnel Serves 151 Million Vehicles in 8 Years

Forex - Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the Eurasia Tunnel has served 151 million vehicles in 8 years, adding, "It has contributed 2 billion dollars to the national economy by providing a total of 261,000 tons of fuel savings, 115,000 tons of exhaust emissions reduction, and 211 million hours of time savings to drivers."

In a written statement regarding the Eurasia Tunnel, Minister Uraloğlu reminded that the opening of the tunnel took place on December 20, 2016, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He stated, "The Eurasia Tunnel, which connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul with a 5-kilometer dual-deck underwater road tunnel, has been serving as a fast, economical, secure, comfortable, and environmentally friendly transportation alternative in the Istanbul Bosphorus crossing for 8 years, with its high technology, advanced engineering product holistic project, and route that connects continents."

151 Million Vehicles Passed Through the Eurasia Tunnel in 8 Years Minister Uraloğlu announced that 151 million crossings were made by 8.3 million users through the Eurasia Tunnel in 8 years. He stated that "considering the Kozyatağı-Bakırköy corridor, the calculations show that it has provided 211 million hours of time savings, 261,000 tons of fuel savings, 115,000 tons of emission reduction, and 590 million vehicle kilometers reduction, contributing 2 billion dollars to the national economy."

"Eurasia Tunnel Reduced Transportation Distances in Istanbul's Southern Axis by 10 Kilometers" Stating that the Eurasia Tunnel has reduced the transportation distances in Istanbul's southern axis by 10 kilometers, Uraloğlu noted that travel time between the Asian and European sides has decreased to 5 minutes. He said, "The Eurasia Tunnel provided its users an average time saving of 36 minutes in the morning and 41 minutes in the evening in 2024. In 2024, 90% of the vehicles using the Eurasia Tunnel were cars, 6% were minibuses, and 4% were motorcycles."

Eurasia Tunnel Serves Daily Traffic of 82,000 Vehicles Minister Uraloğlu expressed that the average daily traffic in the Eurasia Tunnel has surpassed the guaranteed vehicle number of 82,000. He emphasized that the Eurasia Tunnel is the first road project executed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, where the revenue sharing model has started to be applied. He stated, "It began revenue sharing with the public by exceeding guaranteed traffic levels during the last quarter of 2023 and throughout 2024."

2 Million Motorcycles Used the Eurasia Tunnel Minister Uraloğlu reported that the maximum daily vehicle count reached 94,459 on June 13, 2024. He mentioned, "Since we allowed the use of motorcycles in the tunnel as of May 1, 2022, a total of 2 million 7 thousand 341 motorcycle riders have passed through. 25% of tunnel users used the Eurasia Tunnel bidirectionally on daily crossings."

Eurasia Tunnel Generates 322,800 kWh of Energy Annually Minister Uraloğlu announced that the solar power plant (SPP) with an annual production capacity of 322,880 kWh has been completed and put into operation within the framework of the Eurasia Tunnel's innovative approach to sustainability, including the operation and maintenance building along with the Asian ventilation and transformer buildings. He stated, "The SPP, which includes 546 panels, 5 inverters, and 280 power optimizers, will meet the electricity needs of the Eurasia Tunnel data centers through its annual production. This will enable the operation to obtain its energy from clean sources while contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions by 210 tons annually, equivalent to the planting of approximately 3,500 pine trees."