Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced that the construction of the Istanbul Canal project has officially started.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the day was held in the town of Sazledele, west of Istanbul.
Erdogan said at the ceremony, “We are opening a new chapter in the history of Turkey’s development today.” The government regards this canal as a project to revitalize Istanbul. The purpose is to ensure the “personal life” of the people in the Bosphorus and surrounding areas. And property security".
Erdogan proposed the idea of building the Istanbul Canal in 2011, which is to build a canal connecting the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea on the European side of the Bosphorus Strait. The total length is about 45 kilometers, aimed at alleviating the Bosphorus. Shipping pressure in the Strait.
The Bosphorus Strait has an important strategic location. One end is the Black Sea, and the other end connects the Marmara Sea to the Mediterranean. It is one of the busiest waterways in the world.
The Istanbul Canal project started bidding in 2019 and is expected to cost 15 billion U.S. dollars and is planned to be completed within 6 years.
The first project of the project is an 8-lane highway bridge, which will connect the North Marmara Highway and multiple infrastructures currently under construction.
(Producing Li Jiali)
Editor in charge: [Sun Jingbo]