Opening of Turkey's Longest Suspension Bridge, the Osman Gazi Bridge
- Cuts Crossing Time over Izmit Bay from North to South to Just Six Minutes -
- July 4, 2016 -
The opening ceremony for the Izmit Bay Crossing Bridge (Turkish: Osman Gazi Köprüsü) constructed by IIS in the Republic of Turkey, was held on June 30. The grand ceremony was attended by senior Turkish officials including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Representatives from Japan included Mr. Hiroshi Oka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Turkey, and Mr. Norio Ehara, Consul-General of Japan in Istanbul.
This bridge is the fourth largest suspension bridge in the world and is the longest of the overseas bridges handled by the IHI Group. It forms part of the highway project to connect Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, to Izmir, the third most populous city. Opening this bridge to connect the north and south of Izmit Bay in the west of Turkey reduces the previous 1-hour travel time by car and ferry to just six minutes and greatly improves the efficiency of logistics. Also, completion of the entire 420 km of the highway, including this bridge, will reduce the travel time by car between Istanbul and Izmir from up to 10 hours to 3.5 hours, and should further promote regional revitalization and economic development.
The IHI Group has an extensive construction record in Turkey, including construction of the Golden Horn Bridge and the Second Bosphorus Bridge and the seismic reinforcement of suspension bridges in Istanbul. The company has greatly contributed to the improvement of road transport infrastructure in Turkey. The IHI Group will continue to contribute to the development of other countries by cultivating its bridge business overseas and developing social infrastructure.
| Ordering party: | Directorate General of Road Transport Regulation, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, Republic of Turkey |
| BOT concessionaire: | Otoyol Yatirim ve Isletme A.S. (BOT operator) * BOT (Build Operate Transfer): A business model where a private enterprise constructs, maintains, manages and operates a public facility and then transfers ownership to the national government or local government authority when the project is complete. |
| Contractor: | NOMAYG JV (conglomerate of six Turkish and Italian companies) |
| Project name: | Construction of Izmit Bay Crossing Bridge |
| Project scope: | Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the substructure and superstructure of the suspension bridge |
| Length: | 2,682 m |
| Main tower height: | 252 m |
| Main span: | 1,550 m (world’s fourth-longest suspension bridge) |
| Bridge width: | 35.93 m |
[Reference 1: Location of Osman Gazi Bridge]
[Reference 2: Panorama of Osman Gazi Bridge]
