Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoglu stated that 60% of the Halkali-Istanbul Airport Metro Line has been completed and said, “We plan to put this line of 31.5 kilometers into the service of our people at the end of 2022.” Karaismailoglu said, “I would like to give the good news of our 4-kilometer Altunizade-Ferah Mahallesi-Camlica Rail System line, which we will lay the foundation of very soon, to all Istanbul residents.”
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu made a statement at the Halkali-Istanbul Airport Metro 2 Tunneling Machine (TBM) Arrival Ceremony. He said that they witnessed an important moment in the works on the Halkali-Istanbul Airport Metro Line, which is one of the ongoing projects at nearly 4 thousand points all over Turkey.
According to the news of AA, Karaismailoglu stated that 2 tunnel boring machines, which started working from the Olimpiyatkoy station in the direction of Halkali stop on March 1, made 5 thousand 255 meters of excavation and reached the M13 truss structure. He explained that in order to make Istanbul one of the most developed cities in the world, worthy of its history and culture, they put their infrastructure and superstructure investments into the service of Istanbul residents one by one.
Karaismailoglu stated that they have brought Istanbul to a completely different point with giant engineering wonders and state-of-the-art projects such as Marmaray, Eurasia Tunnel, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Istanbul Airport, which the whole world admires, and that they have equipped all four corners of the city with modern rail system networks in addition to these giant projects.
Noting that the total length of the metros they offer to the public in Istanbul, together with the Marmaray and Levent-Hisarustu Metro Line as the Ministry, has reached 80 kilometers, Karaismailoglu informed that the construction works on 5 lines with a total length of 91 kilometers continue on a 24/7 basis.
Karaismailoglu underlined that they will soon lay the foundation of the 4-kilometer Altunizade-Ferah Mahallesi-Camlica Rail System Project, for which they have completed the tender process, apart from the 5 lines in question, “We are also taking steps to start the construction activities of the Kazlicesme-Sirkeci Urban Transportation and Recreation Transformation project, which has a total length of 8.3 kilometers. Thus, the total length of Istanbul’s rail system network, which is 251 kilometers at the moment, will increase to 354.3 kilometers in 2023 when our 7 projects with a total length of 103.3 kilometers are completed.”
€2.36 BILLION EARNINGS WILL BE OBTAINED IN 20 YEARS
Minister Karaismailoglu said that two of the 8 tunnel digging machines used within the scope of the Halkali-Istanbul Airport project, which is 31.5 kilometers long and consists of 8 stations, have completed the excavations and that the excavations of 6 machines continue.
Karaismailoglu stated that as of today, they have completed 70% (43 thousand 763 meters) of the total 62 thousand 603 meters of tunnel work and that they will complete all tunnel excavation works in March 2022, and continued his words as follows:
“When we consider all the works throughout our project, our overall progress rate has reached 60%. We plan to put this line of 31.5 kilometers into the service of our people at the end of 2022. This line, which we have built as the Ministry, will provide both our people and all our international guests with the opportunity to access the important centers of our Istanbul, especially Istanbul Airport, without wasting time in traffic and with comfort. According to the feasibility calculations we have made, after the completion of the Halkali-Istanbul Airport line, a gain of over €2 billion 361 million will be achieved in 20 years, with the gains in road maintenance and operation, accident gains, time savings and external benefits such as air pollution, climate change, soil and water pollution.”
“WE ADD VALUE TO ISTANBUL WITH IMPORTANT PROJECTS”
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Karaismailoglu stated that they have implemented very important projects in order to improve the quality of life of Istanbul residents and to develop the urban rail public transportation infrastructure, adding that they add value to the value of Istanbul with their giant works.
Expressing that they always work day and night to serve the nation, country and state, Karaismailoglu added that the units responsible for the transportation infrastructure of the city took steps that they did not take, and that they offered services to the people of Istanbul as a ministry.
After the speech, 2 tunnel boring machines, which were activated by Minister Karaismailoglu pressing the buttons, broke the last section and completed the excavation of 5 thousand 255 meters.
The workers’ hanging the Turkish flag on the tunnel digging machines received applause from those present.
Karaismailoglu examined the photos of the metro construction in the area and took photos with the employees.
Source: Aksam / Translated by Irem Yildiz