IT WERE PUT INTO SERVICE THREE IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN MALATYA
Important investments that will enhance Malatya's transportation infrastructure were put into service with the participation Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Director General of Highways Ahmet Gülşen. The ceremony held on Thursday, February 5 was attended by officals from public institutions and organizations, company representatives, highway personnel and member of the public.
Starting his remarks by expressing prayers and condolences for the citizens who lost their lives in the February 6 earthquakes, one of the most tragic days in our country, Minister Uraloğlu stated: 'Malatya was among the provinces most severely affected by the earthquake. Today, here in Malatya, while we continue to heal the city's earthquake wounds, we are also experiencing together the joy, pride, and satisfaction of taking concrete steps to prepare for the future in a stronger, safer, and more accessible way.'
Invetsment exceeding 143 billion lira in Malatya
Highlighting Malatya's strategic location, which has become the economic and social center of the region and serves as a transit point connecting 16 provinces with its position linking land, air, and rail transportation networks, Minister Uraloğlu, 'Since 2002, as the ministry, we made investment exceeding 143 billion lira in Malatya's transportation infrastructure. We expanded the length of divided road network from 36-kilometers to 475-kilometers. While we had no bituminous hot-mix roads, we constructed 363 kilometers of asphalt-paved roads.We ensured the consistency of divided road along the North-South corridor on the Malatya-Hekimhan-Sivas line and Tohma Bridge. We have connected the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions to the Black Sea via Malatya. We constructed our crowning jewel over the Euphrates, the Kömürhan Bridge; inaugurated the Erkenek Tunnel on the Malatya–Gölbaşı Road, which was a nightmare for drivers due to its steep cliffs and icy conditions; and completed important highway projects, including the Gürün–Gökpınar Tourist Road, Doğanşehir Entrance–Exit, Battalgazi Provincial Road, Yazıhan–Arapgir Road, Kurucaova Passage, Arapgir–Divriği Road, Arguvan Ring Road, Yazıhan–Kurşunlu Road, and Güzelyurt Provincial Road.' He stated.
We are strengthening institutional services and transportation in Malatya
Noting that they were in Malatya for the inauguration of three major projects, Minister Uraloğlu stated that the Malatya 81st center of district, which has been in service since the 1960s, was relocated to a safer and more suitable location after being adversely affected by the earthquake, and that the new settlement has been integrated into the city's urban structure.
He stated: 'Secondly, following the earthquakes, we began the simultaneous construction of a total of 45.4 kilometers of development and connecting roads in the İkizce earthquake housing area, along with drinking water, sewage, stormwater, and electricity infrastructure. To safely connect these roads to the D-300 State Highway, we designed two intersections and one interchange. As of today, we have completed 42.4 kilometers of the project with bituminous hot-mix pavement. We also designed the K3 Interchange within the project to serve all three stages of the development.'
Reporting that the completed projects have ensured continuous and orderly traffic safety in the earthquake housing area, Minister Uraloğlu added that, thanks to the interchange, the main road flow continues uninterrupted, secondary roads have been reorganized, and delays or accident risks caused by traffic have been largely eliminated.
Reporting that work has continued to increase the capacity of Malatya Airport in response to rising passenger numbers, Minister Uraloğlu stated: 'To ensure fast and safe access to the new terminal building, we have also constructed a modern roundabout, 350 meters long, with two lanes in each direction and bituminous hot-mix pavement, built to divided road standards. This roundabout has reduced the traffic load at the airport access, and made entry and exit movements orderly and controlled.'
Work continues on the final stage of the Malatya Ring Road
Emphasizing that construction efforts in Malatya are ongoing, Minister Uraloğlu provided information about the Malatya North Ring Road, a divided road project with bituminous hot-mix pavement, designed in three stages totaling 53.5 kilometers. He stated that the first stage, covering 26.1 kilometers between the 17.5-kilometer Darende–Gölbaşı Junction–Hekimhan Junction section and the 8.6-kilometer Akçadağ Connection Road, was completed in 2022, and the section between Sivas Junction and Battalgazi Interchange, 12.1 kilometers long, was opened last year. 'With these sections, we have completed 38.3 kilometers of the road. We are now continuing work on the third stage, spanning 15.3 kilometers between Battalgazi Interchange and the Elâzığ–Malatya Junction Pütürge Interchange,' he added.
Minister Uraloğlu stated that he would also visit the construction site during the day to examine ongoing works on location. Following their provincial visit, he and the accompanying delegation inspected the site, receiving a briefing through an evaluation meeting. He then held a press statement, adding the following information about the project:
'Within this year, we aim to complete the remaining sections of the ring road and open it to traffic. Once the entire ring road is operational, the current city passage, which takes up to 60 minutes during peak hours, will be reduced to just 25 minutes. This will result in total savings of 1.032 billion Lira, including 623 million from time and 409 million from fuel. Additionally, we will reduce carbon emissions from vehicles by 19,000 tons, contributing to environmental protection. The road will also stimulate tourism and commercial activities in Malatya, while helping to remove all traces of the earthquake,' he stated.
K3 interchange to servet he new residential area in three stages
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director General of Highways Ahmet Gülşen shared the following details regarding the projects:
'A major new residential area comprising a total of 27,648 housing units has been developed across three separate zones in the İkizce neighborhood of Malatya. Along the existing state highway corridor between İkizce and Beylerderesi, there are also organized industrial zones, public buildings, and other facilities. With the full opening of TOKİ housing projects in the area, a significant increase in traffic mobility is anticipated. Accordingly, of the 45.4 kilometers of zoning and connection roads planned in the region, 13.6 kilometers have been constructed as divided road and 28.8 kilometers as single carriageways, with 42.4 kilometers completed as bituminous hot mix–surfaced roads.
The K3 Highway Interchange, with a total length of 1,800 meters, has been constructed to serve all three phases of the project. Upon the completion of the Yakınca–Beylerderesi corridor, the interchange will become one of the main traffic distribution hubs along Malatya's east–west transportation corridor.
We provide much more efficient and safer services
Gülşen stated that the access interchange providing entry to the new terminal building of Erhaç Airport, which serves the city's air transportation, has been constructed in accordance with modern roundabout standards, and that with its commissioning, a more balanced traffic flow has been ensured. He also announced the opening of the new campus of the Malatya 81st center of district, which is of significant importance in terms of institutional service infrastructure. Gülşen added that the new facility, established on an area of 43,395 square meters along the Malatya–Kayseri Road, will perform vital duties such as maintenance and repair, traffic safety, and snow and ice control across a 900-kilometer road network in a much more effective and safer manner.
