Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, AK Party Trabzon Deputy Candidate Adil Karaismailoğlu, noting that with the Zigana Tunnel Project, the route was shortened by 8 kilometers and the travel time was reduced to 30 minutes for cars and 60 minutes for heavy tonnage vehicles under normal conditions. emphasized what they did. Pointing out that the Zigana Tunnel is one of the proud and proud works of Turkish engineering, Karaismailoğlu said that 100 percent domestic and national resources are used in the construction, design and control of the Zigana Tunnel and its connection roads.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, AK Party Trabzon Deputy Candidate Adil Karaismailoğlu, made a statement in the Zigana Tunnel; “Yesterday, after starting the Trabzon Southern Ring Road construction works, without losing speed, by opening the Zigana Tunnel, which will increase the production and trade activities of Trabzon many times over, which is the longest in our country and Europe, and one of the few double-tube highway tunnels in the world, tomorrow. We will bring together another great service with our Trabzon and our region”.
Stating that they have turned an important engineering marvel project into reality for Turkey, Karaismailoğlu said, “Thanks to both our government's investments and the work of our AK Party local administrations, we continue to revive our country and Trabzon with giant projects. Our country, located at the intersection of three continents, has a very important geographical position. For this reason, it is of particular importance to plan the transportation and communication strategy with its regional and global dimensions. Based on this fact, we saw international integration, especially in the field of transportation, as one of the most important dynamos of economic development.
Explaining that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they have made all transportation strategies taking into account global trends for the last 21 years, Karaismailoğlu said that as a ministry, improving transportation infrastructures with an investment of approximately 193 billion dollars, expanding these networks and completing the missing connections on international transportation routes are among the priorities.
ZIGANA TUNNEL IS VITAL IMPORTANT
Karaismailoğlu stated that the Zigana Tunnel should not be seen as a project that only concerns Trabzon, Gümüşhane and Erzurum, and noted that it is vital for all Middle Eastern countries, especially Iran and Iraq, to reach the Black Sea.
Underlining that this project is one of the most important stages of the vision and work that connects the world to Turkey, Karaismailoğlu also drew attention to the 'Development Road' project for the construction of a land and railway transportation corridor stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Turkish border, which is defined as the New Silk Road. Emphasizing that the Development Road is a project of high strategic importance for both Turkey, Iraq and the entire region, Karaismailoğlu said that the Development Road Project, which includes 1200 kilometers of railway and highway, will connect Turkey to Faw Port in the Persian Gulf.
Expressing that the Development Road, which will bring a new breath to the Middle Corridor, will affect a wide region from Europe to the Gulf countries and produce common benefits, Minister of Transport Karaismailoğlu said that the north-south transportation corridor starting from Trabzon and extending to Habur, He stated that he will reach the Persian Gulf via the Development Road and a new trade corridor will emerge.
HIGH STANDARD TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
Pointing out that the Black Sea Coastal Road connects the coastal settlements with a high standard transportation network, Karaismailoğlu said:
“Thanks to this road, which was completed in 2007 during the AK Party governments under the leadership of our President, movement came to the whole region from Samsun to Batum in the east-west corridor, and abundance came. However, transportation from the coastal part to the inner regions was provided under the conditions allowed by the Black Sea geography until recently. For this reason, we have also designed many roads and tunnels in the region within the scope of the improvement works of the north-south axes. In the past periods; We have completed the Ovit Tunnel, the Lifeguard Tunnel, the Salmankaş Tunnel, the Salarha Tunnel, the İkizdere Hurmalık-1 and Hurmalık-2 Tunnels, and the Eğribel Tunnel and put them at the service of our nation. The New Zigana Tunnel, which brings us together, is one of the most important projects realized within the scope of the north-south axis. In order to ensure uninterrupted traffic flow throughout the year under harsh winter conditions, besides the intensive maintenance works, investments that increase the standard of the road were also designed. In 1988, the first Zigana Tunnel was opened to traffic. However, the transportation standard of the route where various tunnel projects are implemented,
Especially in 2002, it rose rapidly within the scope of the divided road works initiated as the highway policy of the AK Party Governments under the leadership of our President. Today, 615 kilometers of the 586 kilometers long road, which starts from Trabzon and extends through Gümüşhane, Bayburt, Erzurum, to Ağrı and the Iranian border, serves as a divided highway.
ZIGANA TUNNEL HAS BEEN A SEALED ON THE ROUTE
Karaismailoğlu noted that 42 tunnels with a total length of 33 kilometers were completed, along with the new Zigana Tunnel, which will be opened tomorrow on this route, and said that the effect of seasonal conditions on transportation was minimized.
Karaismailoğlu stated that the construction works are continuing in the 14-kilometer double-tube tunnel, and gave the following information about the tunnel:
“With a length of 14,5 kilometers, the New Zigana Tunnel, one of the longest double-tube highway tunnels in our country and in Europe, has become a seal on the route where many works such as construction and improvement have been carried out for nearly two centuries. We built the new Zigana Tunnel as a double tube 14,5 kilometer long route on the route that connects Trabzon to Bayburt, Aşkale and Erzurum via Gümüşhane and carries a high traffic load. The tunnel project starts at an elevation of 44 meters in Maçka/Başarköy location on the 1015th kilometer of Trabzon – Aşkale Road and climbs to 1264 meters with a 3,3 percent incline. From here, it is connected to Köstere-Gümüshane Road, located at the 67th kilometer, with an interchange at 1212 meters. Within the scope of the project, there is also a 600-meter connection road. Zigana Tunnel ventilation systems were formed with vertical shaft structures built for the first time in Turkey in highway tunnels. Within the scope of the project, there are a total of 2 ventilation shaft structures in 4 stations, one clean and one polluted air at each station. In addition, we upgraded the 17-kilometer-long Maçka-Karahava Highway, which starts from Maçka to the entrance of the Zigana Tunnel and serves as a single road, to the divided road standard. In this section; 3 tunnels with a total length of 920 thousand 5 meters, including 2 single tubes with a length of 745 thousand 2 meters and 6 double tubes with a length of 665 thousand 7 meters; There are 2 bridges with a length of 561 thousand 33 meters.”
90 LEVELS REMOVED
Explaining that within the scope of the project, together with the New Zigana Tunnel, they have turned a total of 21 kilometers into divided roads, of which approximately 32 kilometers are tunnels, and put them into service, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Karaismailoğlu continued as follows:
“With the construction of the New Zigana Tunnel; The 12-meter-wide state road has become a 2×2 lane divided highway. The elevation, which was 2 thousand 10 meters at the summit of Zigana and was lowered to 1 meters in the 825st tunnel, was lowered 810 meters with the New Zigana Tunnel and decreased to 15 meters. Thanks to the project; 90 bends on the current route have been eliminated. The geometry of the road improved, with the slope decreasing from 7,7 percent to 3,3 percent. The route was shortened by 8 kilometers, and the travel time was reduced to 30 minutes for cars under normal conditions and 60 minutes for heavy-duty vehicles. We have established an uninterrupted and comfortable flow of traffic that is interrupted in winter conditions. We ensured the smooth flow of traffic to the settlements, ports, tourism and industrial centers on the Black Sea coast, and contributed to faster international trade with domestic road transportation. We have solved the problems such as falling stones from the steep slopes of the existing Trabzon-Gümüşhane line. By converting the Maçka-Karahava section to a divided road; We raised the standard of the road stretching from Trabzon to Erzurum, Ağrı and Iran borders, and established fast and safe transportation. With the Zigana Tunnel, we will save 92 million TL annually, 180 million TL from time and 272 million TL from fuel. In other words, we will earn 272 million TL every year to our nation's pocket, to our Treasury. In addition, we will protect the unique nature of our region by reducing carbon emissions by 21 thousand tons per year.”
100% DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL RESOURCES USED
Pointing out that the Zigana Tunnel is one of the proud and proud works of Turkish engineering, Karaismailoğlu emphasized that 100 percent domestic and national resources are used in the construction, design and control of the Zigana Tunnel and its connection roads, and that the project was built by Turkish engineers and workers. "This pride is the pride of Turkish engineering, this pride belongs to all of us," said Karaismailoğlu, "The Zigana Tunnel will create an important momentum in the development and development of the region, as a signature to the future of both Trabzon and Gümüşhane. After all, if you have love for your nation in your heart, if you have a desire to serve, the roads that are called impassable give way, and the mountains that are said to be impassable can easily be crossed. We built the past of this country together, and we will build the future together. We will continue to illuminate the future of our country in the fastest and most accurate way. No stopping for us. We will continue with the right steps for the Turkish Century.” made its assessment.
24 OUR PROJECT CONTINUES FAST
Noting that the cost of only the highway investments in Trabzon in the last 20 years is 75 billion liras, Karaismailoğlu said that apart from the investments presented, 24 billion liras of investment in 28 projects continues rapidly.
Minister Karaismailoğlu said, “We spent a lot of work full of services and projects all over Trabzon in the past days, and we continue to do so. On April 24, we opened Kanuni Boulevard Çatak Junction-Yenicuma Junction and started the construction work of Araklı-Bayburt Road. Yesterday, we started the construction of Trabzon Southern Ring Road, which is another giant project of ours. The Southern Ring Road, which we have designed to regulate the urban and transit traffic of our Trabzon, the largest city in the Eastern Black Sea Region, is 44 kilometers long. We will build 31 meters wide, 2×3 lane, bituminous hot mix paved divided road standard. We will continue to work with the same determination and consciousness under the vision and leadership of our President, who run from success to success, from service to service with the favor and appreciation of our nation. Our region will take firm steps towards a bright future. Our region will continue to be the shining star of Turkey.”