When the Republic of Turkey was declared in 1923, the total road length was 18,350 km, including 13,900 km of macadam road and 4,450 km of dirt road, with 94 bridges within our national borders.
In the first years of the Republic, railway construction, which was the most advanced technology of the period, gained significance. However, it became apparent that the railway alone was insufficient, and the construction of highways needed to be expedited to meet the country's transportation goals. As a result, in 1929, the Directorate of Macadam and Bridges was established within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works (Nafia Ministry-Public Works). Subsequently, highway construction projects were accelerated in alignment with National Highway Policies. As a consequence of the construction efforts between 1923 and 1947, the road network reached a total of 43,743 km.
In 1948, a breakthrough was achieved in the field of construction techniques, as the era of manual labor involving digging, shovels, and human power was replaced by industrial machines. After taking stock of existing routes, a road network that would fulfill Türkiye's transportation needs was specified and determined.
Since its establishment in 1950, the General Directorate of Highways (KGM) has successfully carried out its planned and programmed activities in line with the road policies defined. In its early years, the Institution conducted maintenance and repair works on existing roads based on the principle of “keeping the wheels turning", while also giving priority to the construction of new roads along major routes
Through these efforts, a 60,000 kilometer road network was created in the 1960s, and the aim was to expand asphalt- paved road network between 1960 and 1970s.
In the 1970s, with the establishment of the automotive industry, the construction of high-standard, multi-lane expressways and highways on roads have traffic density and around major cities became a priority. The Istanbul Ring Road and the Istanbul-İzmit Expressway were constructed, and the bridge now known as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge was opened to traffic in 1973, providing the first uninterrupted road connection between Europe and Asia in history.
In the 1980s, while continuing road works aimed at improving accessibility, emphasis was placed on the construction of high-standard highways, initiating a major highway development initiative. The Gebze-İzmit, Tarsus-Pozantı, and Kapıkule-Edirne Motorway were constructed, and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge was opened to traffic in 1988.
In the 1990s, motorway construction continued, with significant work carried out on key sections such as the Ankara Motorway, İzmir-Çeşme Motorway, Edirne-Istanbul Motorway, Istanbul-Ankara Motorway, İzmir-Aydın Motorway, Tarsus-Pozantı-Mersin Motorway, and Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep Motorway. By 1990, the total length of Motorway, which was increased from 152 km to 1,674 km by 2000 and to 1,714 km by 2002.
Within the framework of the Urgent Action Plan prepared at the end of 2002, a divided road initiative was launched, while motorway construction works continued. Between 2003 and 2011, a 15,000-kilometer divided road network was completed and opened to traffic nationwide, notably including the Black Sea Coastal Road, the Bolu Tunnel, the Ankara–İzmir Divided Road, the Ankara–Samsun Divided Road, the Gaziantep–Şanlıurfa Motorway, the Erzurum–Ağrı–Gürbulak Border Gate Divided Road, the Bozüyük–Mekece–Adapazarı Divided Road, and the Diyarbakır–Mardin Divided Road.
The procedures and principles governing the operations, organization, and duties of the General Directorate of Highways, which was affiliated with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on 30 August 2007, are regulated by Law No. 6001, which entered into force, and Presidential Decree No. 4 on the Organization of Ministries and Their Related, Associated, and Affiliated Institutions and Organizations, as well as Other Institutions and Organizations, published in the Official Gazette dated 15 July 2018 and numbered 30479.
In the 2010s, within the scope of efforts to develop the road network through the use of alternative financing methods in addition to public resources, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model was implemented. The entire Istanbul–İzmir Motorway was opened to traffic in 2019; the Menemen–Aliağa–Çandarlı Motorway and the Ankara–Niğde Motorway in 2020; the Northern Marmara Motorway, excluding the 45-kilometer Nakkaş–Başakşehir section, in 2021; the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge and the Malkara–Çanakkale Motorway in 2022; and the entire Aydın–Denizli Motorway in 2025.
Additionally, numerous projects have been completed across the country, including the Zigana Tunnel, the longest twin-tube highway tunnel in both Türkiye and Europe, with a length of 14.5 km; the Kömürhan Bridge, connecting the eastern and western regions; the Ovit Tunnel, 14.3 km long, constructed between Rize and Erzurum; the Hasankeyf-2 Bridge, 1,001 meters long, providing access to the new settlement of Hasankeyf; the Yenikent-Temelli Road, linking Ankara's industrial zones to main highway corridors; the Pirinkayalar Tunnel, connecting Erzurum to the Caucasus; the Zonguldak–Kilimli Road, which reduced travel time from 40 minutes to 5 minutes; the Prof. Dr. Şaban Teoman Duralı Tunnels; the Phaselis Tunnel, providing easier access to settlements west of Antalya, visited annually by millions of tourists; the Eğiste Hadimi Viaduct, Türkiye's highest-piered and longest balanced cantilever bridge; the Assos and Troya Tunnels on the Ayvacık–Küçükkuyu Road, reducing travel time across the Kaz Mountains from 50 minutes to 5 minutes; the Yusufeli Roads, 56 km of which consist of tunnels; the Bitlis Steam Viaduct, completed as a pushed steel orthotropic box-girder structure; the Denizli Ring Road Section 2 and Honaz Tunnel, reducing Denizli city crossing time from 45 minutes to 10 minutes; the Adana 15 July Martyrs Bridge, easing urban traffic in Adana; connection roads providing rapid access to city hospitals in İzmir, Antalya, Gaziantep, and Aydın; the Nallıhan Kuşcenneti Bridge and Tunnel, protecting natural habitats; and the Yağdonduran, Aşık Şenlik, Güzeldere, and Doğancı Tunnels, among other projects, bringing services to every corner of the country.
Since 2003 up to the present, 522 historic bridges has been restored, contributing to our cultural heritage.
Construction works are ongoing on the 45 km Nakkaş-Başakşehir section of the Northern Marmara Motorway, the 52 km Çeşmeli-Kızkalesi section of the Mersin (Çeşmeli)-Erdemli-Silifke-Taşucu Motorway, the 127 km Kınalı-Malkara section of the Kınalı-Tekirdağ-Çanakkale-Savaştepe Motorway, the 120 km Ankara-Kırıkkale-Delice Motorway, the 122 km Antalya-Alanya Motorway, and the 19 km İskenderun-Antakya Motorway.
By the end of 2025, the General Directorate of Highways has a total road network of 68,510 km, comprising 32,796 km of hot mix asphalt, 33,360 km of surface treatment roads, and 2,354 km of other types of roads. Of this network, 30,049 km (44%) are divided roads, including 3,796 km of motorways.
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