Istanbul’s new channel… continues despite skepticism
Due to the increase in the movement of navigation in the Bosphorus in the recent period, especially the large-sized ships that transport dangerous materials and which pose a threat to the strait at the present time, the Istanbul Water Canal project appeared in order to relieve this pressure on the Bosphorus, allowing the ships to pay for the Rapid transit, which would generate billions of dollars annually for the Turkish treasury.
Thus, the Istanbul Canal project was announced in April 2011. In general, the Turkish government has recently been promoting huge infrastructure projects such as airports and waterways, as indications of Turkey’s growing influence.
What is the Istanbul Water Canal?
It is a waterway parallel to the Bosphorus Strait, about 30 km away, and extends from Küçükçekmece Lake, west of Istanbul, and extends north to the Sazildere Dam, then the village of Shamlar, all the way to the Black Sea, with a length of 45 km and a base width of at least 275 meters. While its depth will be about 21 meters, and according to local studies, the Istanbul Water Canal will be 13 times safer than the Bosphorus in terms of navigational safety.
The canal will give Turkey a significant competitive advantage in the international transport trade, more than 75% of which passes through the seas.
Developments in the construction of the Istanbul Canal and project costs
According to the Turkish official websites, the Istanbul Canal project will be completed at a cost of more than $8 billion and will allow the passage of 185 ships per day, compared to the number of ships currently crossing the Bosphorus Strait, which ranges between 118-125 ships per day.
The project will also include a dock or marina for yachts and ships, recreational areas, a container port and areas for logistics services, and the canal will cross bridges and underground tunnels.
The official Anadolu news agency said that the bridge, which was announced to start construction, will extend 1,680 meters in length over the canal and will include four traffic lines and will be connected to main roads.
The project began last year when President Erdogan laid the foundation stone for the first “Istanbul Canal” bridge, and construction workers poured concrete on the foundations of the 1.6-kilometre-long bridge.
Ankara had intended to lay the foundation stone for the project in early 2020, but it was postponed due to the closure that swept the country as a result of the spread of the Corona epidemic.
It is expected to be completed during the year 2027, according to Erdogan’s statement, when he said that the implementation of the canal project will take 6 years.
The value of the Istanbul Water Canal project is 25 billion dollars, 15 billion dollars for the construction of the canal and 10 billion dollars for the adjacent constructions.
According to the structural plans, the line of rural suburbs connecting north and central west of Istanbul will make a major urban shift.
After the completion of the project, it will become part of a new city with an area of 7.5 million square meters, next to 450 million square meters of beaches and the Corniche, and 147 million gardens and parks sprawling over Canal Beach.
