Mount Bolu Tunnel

Mount Bolu Tunnel
Overview
LocationMount Bolu
Coordinates40°44′45″N 31°27′19″E / 40.74596°N 31.45523°E / 40.74596; 31.45523
Mt. Bolu Tunnel is located in Turkey
Mt. Bolu Tunnel
Mt. Bolu Tunnel
Mt. Bolu Tunnel (Turkey)
Route O-4 / E80
StartKaynaşlı, Düzce
EndYumrukaya, Bolu
Operation
Work begun1993
Opened2007; 17 years ago (2007)
OperatorGeneral Directorate of Highways
Trafficautomotive
Technical
Length3,014 m (9,888 ft) (east bound)
3,125 m (10,253 ft) (west bound)
No. of lanes2 x 3
Operating speed70 km/h (43 mph)
Highest elevation860 m (2,820 ft)
Lowest elevation810 m (2,660 ft)
Width2 x 17 m (56 ft)
Grade1,7%

Mount Bolu Tunnel (Turkish: Bolu Dağı Tüneli) is a 3.1-kilometre-long (1.9 mi) highway tunnel constructed through the Bolu Mountain in Turkey between Kaynaşlı, Düzce and Yumrukaya, Bolu.[1]

Construction

The tunnel is part of the Gümüşova-Gerede Highway O-4 / E80 within the Trans-European Motorway project, which was carried out by the Turkish Bayındır and Italian Astaldi joint venture since April 16, 1993.[2] The total cost of the tunnel is about US$300 million. It has twin 17-metre-wide (56 ft) bores carrying three lanes of traffic in each direction.

The tunnel crosses the North Anatolian Fault. The November 12, 1999 Düzce earthquake (MW=7.2) caused substantial damage to the tunnel and viaducts, which were under construction at the time of the earthquake.[2]

On September 4, 2005 the excavation of the tunnel in the Istanbul-Ankara direction was finished. The excavation for the tunnel in the Ankara-Istanbul direction was completed by the beginning of August 2005.

Opening to traffic

The Istanbul-Ankara direction (3,014 m (9,888 ft)) was opened to traffic on January 23, 2007 by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.[2] Four months following the initial opening, on May 7, the Ankara-Istanbul direction (3,125 m (10,253 ft)) became operational.[3][4]

Speed in the tunnel is limited to 70 km/h (43 mph).[5] Dangerous goods carriers are not permitted to use the tunnel.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bolu Dağı Tüneli yarın açılıyor". Sabah (in Turkish). 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c "Bolu Tüneli 14 yıl sonra açıldı". NTV MSNBC (in Turkish). 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  3. ^ "Bolu Tüneli'nde ikinci tüp hizmete açıldı". NTV MSNBC (in Turkish). 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  4. ^ "Tünneler". Karayolları Genel Müdürlüğü. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
  5. ^ Toydemir, Ali (2009-02-10). "Bolu Tüneli'nde ölüm oyunu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  6. ^ "Tehlikeli Maddelerin Taşınmasına İzin Verilmeyen Otoyol Tünelleri" (PDF) (in Turkish). Karayolları Genel Müdürlüğü. Retrieved 2016-08-14.

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