Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu stated that 100 million vehicles have passed through the Eurasia Tunnel since the day it was opened, and drew attention to the fact that the total contribution of the tunnel to the country's economy for 6 years has reached 1,2 billion dollars. Karaismailoğlu said, “For some reason, the opposition parties could not understand these Build-Operate State projects. They make the mistake of calculating these projects based on the construction cost only. It is not the right approach to evaluate the total cost of the investment only with the construction cost.”
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu made a press statement at the Eurasia Tunnel Control Center, and then presented a gift to the owner of the 100 millionth vehicle passing through the Eurasia Tunnel. Karaismailoğlu said, “Our nation's love of connecting the two sides of the Bosphorus under the sea began in 1860 when Sultan Abdülmecit had a project prepared. This project, which was seen as a dream after that day, waited for a strong and determined will to bring it to life for about 1,5 centuries. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, this dream turned into reality. Passed under the Bosphorus with not one, but two giant transportation projects. First Marmaray and then Eurasia Tunnel. Both of our works took their places in history as the world's most important and successful engineering projects in the field of transportation. While Marmaray is the only project that connects two continents with the world's deepest immersed tube tunnel, 60 meters below the surface, where there are two opposite currents, the Eurasia Tunnel is the world's first two-storey road tunnel that connects two continents under the seabed and has taken its place in history as a unique engineering. ” he said.
IN 2011, WE LAYED THE FOUNDATION OF THE EURASIA TUNNEL, WHICH SOME DIDN'T EVEN IMAGINE
Underlining that the Eurasia Tunnel is one of the most successful engineering projects in the world, Karaismailoğlu said that the project is the work of Turkey, which is big and powerful. He said that the Eurasia Tunnel was built between Kazlıçeşme and Göztepe on a route of 5 meters in total, including the 400-meter-long two-storey tunnel that passes the Bosphorus under the seabed. Karaismailoğlu said, “We laid the foundation of the Eurasia Tunnel, which some people call a dream but cannot even imagine, and that they are trying to undermine and fail, on February 14, 600” and gave the following information about the project process:
“On April 19, 2014, we started tunnel excavation works at Haydarpaşa Construction Site on the Asian continent. We completed the tunnel drilling work, which is the most challenging part of the project, 8 months ahead of schedule. We carried out tunnel drilling with the 13,7th largest TBM in the world at that time, with an excavation diameter of 6 meters. By digging approximately 10 meters per day, we completed the tunnel drilling operations in 3, passing the 400 meters from Haydarpaşa Port to Cankurtaran in less than 1,5 years. We put it into service on 2015 December 20 and presented it to our nation. With the Eurasia Tunnel, which has received numerous awards from internationally respected organizations since the first day it was put into service, it has gained an environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure that does not affect the natural beauty and silhouette of Istanbul, observes the ecological balances, does not harm the sea life. It shortened the transportation distances on the south axis of Istanbul by about 2016 kilometers, reducing the journey between the Asian and European sides to 10 minutes. It carries tens of thousands of Istanbulites from one continent to another every day.”
SOME ENVIRONMENTS CONSIDER THIS PROJECT AS AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
Stating that some circles saw this project as an impossible dream, Minister of Transport Karaismailoğlu said, “None of them believed that this project would be completed without using a single penny of public funds. We already knew that they did not understand planning and service, and we were surprised that they were so hostile to the service offered to our nation. However, they maintain this hostility against our every project, every piece of work. Because what they understand by opposition is to try to undermine the works that will enlighten the future of the nation. Of course we did not allow this. Eurasia Tunnel took its place in history as one of the most important and beautiful examples of Build-Operate-Transfer projects.”
IN 2025, OUR REVENUES WILL EXCEED THE PAYMENTS WE WILL MAKE
Karaismailoğlu, in addition to the Eurasia Tunnel; Stating that they have implemented many giant investments that carry Turkey to the future and connect the world to Turkey with the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, with the BOT model, in the realization of projects that require advanced technology and high financial resources, private sector opportunities and financing are used without using public resources. He said that they enabled the investments to be realized in a much shorter time. Expressing that they also use the ability of the private sector to make quick decisions and use advanced technology during the realization of investment and operation stages, Karaismailoğlu said, “We often talk about the benefits of PPP Projects, which provide the most valuable contributions to our nation's treasury and our country's infrastructure, and which are an extremely valuable method in building the bright future of our country. . Even if they try to confuse our nation with their rant, they will not be able to obscure these facts. But for some reason, the opposition parties could not understand these build-operate state projects. They make the mistake of calculating these projects based on the construction cost only. It is not a correct approach to evaluate the total cost of the investment only with the construction cost. The cost is calculated along with its construction, operation, all kinds of maintenance, repair and financing during the operation period. In addition, at the end of the operation period of these projects, all kinds of maintenance will be made and transferred to the public. I would like to remind you one more time. In our investments made with the PPP Model in the field of airline, road, railway and maritime, the incomes and payments we will obtain in 2024 will come to a head-to-head point. In 2025, our revenues will exceed our payments. Thus, thanks to the works built with the PPP Model in the transportation sector, a net cash flow will be provided to our Treasury; Our state will have additional income,” he said.
6-YEAR TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION'S ECONOMY REACHED 1,2 BILLION DOLLARS
Giving an example of the benefits provided by the Eurasia Tunnel, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Karaismailoğlu noted that in 2022, 93 percent of the vehicles using the Eurasia Tunnel are cars, 6 percent are minibuses and 1 percent are motorcycles. Underlining that 1 thousand 2022 motorcycles passed through the tunnel, where the use of motorcycles was allowed as of May 2022, 256, in 264, Karaismailoğlu emphasized that the rate of vehicles preferring the tunnel was 50,3 percent in the direction of Asia and 49,7 percent in the direction of Europe. Karaismailoğlu, Minister of Transport, said, “Eurasia Tunnel users saved 1 hour of time, as well as reduced fuel consumption, reduced emissions and cost of accidents, with each user providing an average of 2022 TL in 196 for daily two-way trips. Only in 2022, 33 million hours of time savings, 38 thousand tons of fuel savings, 19 thousand tons of emission reductions, and 79 million vehicle-km reductions, resulting in accident cost savings, reached 6 billion dollars in 1,2 years' total contribution to the country's economy. Thus, the Eurasia Tunnel covered the investment cost in 6 years with its contribution to the country's economy. Those who have heard, please tell those who have not heard," he said.
99.5% OF DRIVERS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDED
Underlining that 23 percent of tunnel users prefer the Eurasia Tunnel for daily bi-directional crossings, Karaismailoğlu stated that the maximum number of vehicles reached by the tunnel per day was 22 thousand 2022 on 74 December 210. In the second half of January 2023, the average traffic on weekdays was over 71 thousand, exceeding the daily minimum traffic guarantee.
“As a result of the analysis based on the travel times of the tunnel and other strait crossing alternatives, the time savings of users on weekdays in 2022; In the Kozyatağı – Bakırköy direction, while the monthly average is 35 minutes in the morning, and the monthly average is 45 minutes in the evening; In the direction of Bakırköy-Kozyatağı, it was 26 minutes in the morning and 42 minutes in the evening. In 2022, vehicles that broke down, ran out of fuel and had accidents in the Eurasia Tunnel were intervened in an average of 1 minute and 38 seconds, and the traffic was returned to its normal course within 11 minutes and 42 seconds. Emergency response performance in the tunnel is well above operating standards and the average of similar projects around the world. In the satisfaction survey conducted on people who have experienced malfunctions and accidents in the tunnel, the average satisfaction rate of the drivers with the service provided was 2022 percent in 99,5. In addition, all of the electricity consumed in tunnel operations was met from renewable sources. Thus, it was supported to reduce the carbon footprint caused by electricity needs. By balancing the carbon footprint in business activities, the goal of being a carbon neutral project has also been achieved.”
EURASIA TUNNEL ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST SPECIAL AND RARE ENGINEERING PROJECTS
Underlining that the Eurasia Tunnel is one of the most special and rare engineering projects in the world, in addition to its technical features and countless benefits, Karaismailoğlu stated that as of today, 100 million vehicles have passed through the Eurasia Tunnel since the day it was opened. Karaismailoğlu concluded his words by saying, “The Eurasia Tunnel, one of the most important engineering projects in the world that has shortened the way and travel time of our citizens and increased their safety and comfort for 6 years, will continue to serve our country for many years to Istanbul.”
Be the first to comment