Construction of Çanakkale Bridge gains momentum

Construction of a key bridge in northwestern Turkey connecting Europe and Asia has picked up speed with the completion of a temporary road, according to information received by Anadolu Agency. 

Upon its completion, the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge will become the world's longest mid-span suspension bridge with its unique structural characteristics, colors and other features.

Engineers, technicians and workers continue their efforts on a working platform that connects the two sides of the bridge.

The giant structure will be connected to the Malkara-Çanakkale Motorway and will be the most important part of the 101-kilometer (62.75-mile) route.

The motorway with the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge will include four viaducts, 12 intersections, 55 bridges and overpasses, 40 underpasses, 238 culverts of various sizes, four highway service facilities, two maintenance operation centers and seven toll collection stations.

When the entire Kinali-Tekirdag-Çanakkale-Savastepe Highway Project is linked to the Gebze-Izmir Highway, the highway chains surrounding the Marmara Region will be united.

A bridge on the Çanakkale Strait will be included in this network as the most important link in the chain which will connect Turkey's Thrace Aegean and Mediterranean regions in the south.

With the completion of the projects, a reduction in ferry traffic is targeted, especially during the summer months and public holidays, by creating alternative routes for transportation from Istanbul and Thrace provinces to the Marmara and Aegean regions.

Moreover, it is envisaged to increase cultural interaction as well as commercial relations with neighboring countries by reducing vehicle operating costs and travel times as well as the time cost of goods for...