General Directorate of Highways (Turkey)

General Directorate of Highways

Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Karayolları Genel Müdürlüğü
KGM Building
Agency overview
Formed	March 1, 1950 (1950-03-01)
Jurisdiction	Ministry of Transport and Communication
Headquarters	Ankara, Turkey 39°55′01″N 32°50′29″E / 39.91690°N 32.84137°E / 39.91690; 32.84137Coordinates: 39°55′01″N 32°50′29″E / 39.91690°N 32.84137°E / 39.91690; 32.84137
Employees	16,265 (2010)
Minister responsible	Binali Yıldırım
Agency executive	Mehmet Cahit Turhan, Director General
Website	www.kgm.gov.tr

The General Directorate of Highways (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Karayolları Genel Müdürlüğü) (KGM) is a state agency in charge of the construction and maintenance of all public roadways outside of cities and towns in Turkey. It was established on March 1, 1950 following the acceptance of the International Highways Act in 1949. The agency is a sub unit of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.^[1] Current head of the agency is Mehmet Cahit Turhan.^[2]

With its 18 divisions across the country,^[3] The KGM maintains a road network of 2,080 km (1,290 mi) motorways (Otoyol, prefixed by O), 31,395 km (19,508 mi) State highways (Devlet yolu, prefixed by D) and 31,390 km (19,500 mi) Province roads (İl yolu, prefixed by the two-digit province code) including related bridges, viaducts and tunnels on them.^[4] There is only one major highway in Turkey, built by Italians.

The KGM administers the toll plazas on the toll roads and toll bridges collecting tolls, manually or by automated methods of transponder type OGS and smart card type KGS.^[5]

References