Yesterday another important stage is completed in Gebze-Orhangazi-İzmir Highway project, which is one of the most important infrastructure projects of Turkey. In Izmit Bay crossing bridge, which is the most important crossing point of the project that shall decrease İstanbul-İzmir travel time to 3.5 hours, the deck weighing 2.600 tons’ as the heaviest component of the project is mounted to its place yesterday through a ceremony. The biggest deck of South Approach Viaduct connecting the south pier of the Izmit Bay Crossing suspension bridge’ is raised to 57 meters high and mounted to its place. A ceremony was organized due to installation of 2,600 tons deck’ manufactured by Nurol İnşaat by using Turkish workmanship only. The deck is bigger than a football field with its 124 meters length and 36 meters width. The installation operation of the deck that is raised to a height of 57 meters through an operation that lasted for a few days, is expected to be completed until this morning. This operation is also attracting attention with its feature of being the biggest heavy weight lifting operation of Turkey. The vehicles that shall pass through the bridge by using the South Approach viaduct shall enter into the highway by descending from 60 meters to 13 meters. Another deck weighing 2.350 tons and used in the same viaduct was installed to its place in last May. The South Approach Viaduct, which completely manufactured by using Turkish workmanship only takes place among the projects in world construction technology that makes Turkey proud of with its features like size and the construction technique.
Yavuz Batum, the CEO of OTOYOL A.Ş stated that the foundations of the bridge have a very special design and said “ 32.000 tons of steel is used in the last deck of the South Approach Viaduct which is installed today. When İzmit Bay Crossing Bridge is completed, the traffic passing through the bridge shall be able to descend down to the highway through this viaduct. Another very important feature of this bridge is that the North Anatolian Fault is passing through this region. It has been constructed in a region that has high risk of earthquake. Thus very special construction techniques have been used.”