Mount Ovit Tunnel

Mount Ovit Tunnel
Ovit Dağı Tüneli
Overview
Location İkizdere, Rize Province - İspir, Erzurum Province
Coordinates

40°37′28″N 40°49′26″E / 40.62438°N 40.82382°ECoordinates: 40°37′28″N 40°49′26″E / 40.62438°N 40.82382°E

Mt. Ovit Tunnel
Location of Mount Ovit Tunnel in Turkey.
Status Under construction
Route D.925
Operation
Work begun 2012
Owner General Directorate of Highways
Traffic automotive
Technical
Length 14,700 m (48,200 ft)

Mount Ovit Tunnel (Turkish: Ovit Dağı Tüneli), is a highway tunnel under construction at Mount Ovit between İkizdere, Rize Province and İspir, Erzurum Province in northeastern Turkey. With its length of 14,700 m (48,200 ft) in twin tubes, it will be the country's longest tunnel.[1][2]

The tunnel was projected to connect Erzurum with Rize in order to enable Eastern Anatolian's access to the Black Sea. The first gateaway project dates back to 1880 during the Ottoman Empire times, without going into realization. In 1930, a highway was built with a workforce of 1,500 people that connected İspir with İkizdere, passing over Mount Ovit, which is 2,600 m (8,500 ft) high.[1] The current route D.925, however, is blocked at Mount Ovit during wintertime due to heavy snowfall.[3]

The construction works of Mount Ovit Tunnel and its connection roads started with a groundbreaking ceremony held on May 12, 2012 in presence of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[4] İt is planned that the tunnel will be opened to traffic in 2015.[1] After completion, Mount Ovit Tunnel is expected to become the world's 4th longest highway tunnel.[2][3] Effective November 13, 2014, the work has been halted temporarily until the worker safety concerns are addressed.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Erdoğan'dan önemli açıklamalar". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2012-05-12. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kaçar, Muhammet (2012-05-13). "Başbakan Ovit Dağı Tüneli'nin temelini attı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Başbakan Erdoğan konuştu". Sabah (in Turkish). 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Ovit Tüneli'nin temeli atıldı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  5. ↑ "Ovit Tüneli'nde çalışmalar durduruldu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2014-11-13.