Turkey plans three-storey underwater tunnel

The 6.5km long tunnel will connect the two continents via the Bosphorus at 110 metres below sea level, with plans for completion by 2020. The top and bottom floors will feature highways to ease the capital’s burdening traffic jams, while the middle tier will host a railway in the hopes of boosting the use of public transportation in Istanbul.

This is the latest in a series of infrastructure projects that have been encouraged by Turkish authorities

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced the plans in a bid to secure foreign investment, which is expected to finance the entire $3.5bn project. The tunnel will have a capacity of 6.5m passengers and aims to reduce carbon emissions by 110,000 tonnes per annum. The new route will connect the city’s three airports, as well as act as an axis for Istanbul’s nine rail systems.

This is the latest in a series of infrastructure projects that have been encouraged by Turkish authorities. For example, in October 2013, the Marmaray was opened, acting as the first underwater link across the Bosphorus. An agreement signed in 1999 with the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation had secured 35 percent of the investment needed to fund the $4.5bn project.

Given the current economic climate, it will be a sizeable task to secure the billions needed for the project’s completion, particularly as foreign investment in transportation is often difficult to obtain. It seems likely that some domestic investment will be needed to help fund the project. If the necessary financial backing is obtained, the venture could transform the largest city in Turkey. Although no longer the capital, Istanbul remains the cultural and economic epicentre for the state, as such, this latest infrastructure project acts as a beacon for continuing development and modernisation for the entire nation.