IHI Infrastructure Systems Announces the Signing of the Contract of the 1st and 2nd Bosphorus Bridge Rehabilitation Project in Turkey
IHI Infrastructure Systems Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Sakai-shi, Osaka; Akira INOUE, President; hereinafter “IIS”) announced that, jointly with MAKYOL İnşaat Sanayi Turizm ve Ticaret A.Ş., (headquartered in Istanbul), a leading general constructor in Turkey, has signed a contract for the 1st and 2nd Bosphorus Bridge Rehabilitation Project with the owner of the bridge, GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF HIGHWAYS (herein after “KGM”). The amount of the contract for the IIS-MAKYOL JV is approximately TL 247 Million (approximately JPY 12.5 Billion). IIS will be in charge of the replacement of the hanger cables of the 1st Bosphorus Bridge and the installation of the dehumidification systems of both bridges. Construction, which is expected to last 18 months, will start shortly and is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
The 1st Bosphorus Bridge this year is celebrating the 40th year since its completion. The 2nd Bosphorus Bridge (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge), which has been completed by IHI with Japanese ODA loan, is also celebrating its 25th year. Both bridges are part of the main road in Istanbul connecting Europe and Asia, and, with over 400,000 vehicles passing these bridges every day, KGM has decided to execute a major rehabilitation PJ for them.
What is remarkable of this project is the replacing of the diagonal hanger cables with vertical hanger cables. There are only 3 long span suspension bridges which have diagonal hanger cables. Replacing the cables of one of these bridges will be a highly challenging rehabilitation project on a suspension bridge.
IHI, for many years, has been contributing to Turkish infrastructure development, through the construction of the Golden Horn Bridge and the New Golden Horn Bridge (the Steel Box Girder Bridge) in 1974 and 1998, respectively, the construction of the 2nd Bosphorus Bridge in 1988, and the Seismic Reinforcement project on 15 major bridges in Istanbul in 2010.
IHI and IIS are currently constructing the Izmit Bay Crossing Bridge contracted in 2011. This bridge is expected to be the 4th largest suspension bridge in the world. We will make every effort to succeed in both the Izmit Bay Crossing Bridge Project and the 1st and 2nd Bosphorus Bridge Rehabilitation Project. Through the execution of both projects, IHI hopes to further strengthen its brand in Turkey and its relationship with the Turkish community.