YALOVA- ARMUTLU ROAD PUT INTO SERVICE TRAVEL TIME HALVED
Yalova-Armutlu Road was inaugurated on Friday, 24 july with a ceremony attended by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Director General of Highways Ahmet Gülşen, representatives of public institutions and organizations, representatives of the contractor, and members of the General Directorate of Highways. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Minister Uraloğlu stated that Yalova, located at the heart of the İstanbul–Kocaeli–Bursa triangle, has been thriving thanks to the Osmangazi Bridge and has grown into a major hub. He noted that, with its expanding industrial, tourism, and commercial potential, the province holds a strategic position in Türkiye's logistics network and economic development.
The Challenges of Rugged Terrain Are Being Overcome One by One Through Engineering
Uraloğlu stated that, with its summer tourism, thermal springs, historical heritage, and expanding shipyards, Yalova is one of Türkiye's shining stars, “By making this shining star shine even brighter, we are continuing our transportation investments with unwavering commitment and great enthusiasm in order to give a strong impetus to Yalova's future and unlock its full logistics and tourism potential." He stated. Uraloğlu noted that, in addition to the Yalova–Armutlu Road, six tunnels with a combined length of 6,140 meters have been constructed.I would particularly like to emphasize that we have increased our total tunnel length seventeenfold over the past 24 years. Just imagine, for a moment, setting off from Yalova, entering a tunnel, and travelling all the way to Ordu without seeing the sky. Today, our total tunnel length has reached 868 kilometers," he said.
Underlining that the engineers involved in the project had overcome the challenges posed by the rugged terrain one by one, Uraloğlu said: "Our 45-kilometer route connecting Yalova to Esenköy and Armutlu consists of 2.5 kilometers of divided road with a bituminous hot mix asphalt (BSK) pavement. The 10.7-kilometer Esenköy crossing has been constructed as a two-lane road with bituminous hot mix asphalt pavement, shoulders and safety lanes, while the remaining 31.8 kilometers consist of a two-lane road with surface treatment pavement and safety lanes.
A Much Faster and More Comfortable Alternative Route was Provided
Uraloğlu stated that a high level of traffic congestion had occurred in the area, particularly because the section passing through the Esenköy settlement was located within the development roads, “We overcame the most critical points along the route by constructing six tunnels with a total length of 6,140 meters, from T-1 Tunnel to T-6, four viaducts with a total length of 529 meters, five bridges with a combined length of 284 meters, and three at-grade intersections. By moving the road alignment away from the coastline, we provided transit access without passing through the settlement center. By alleviating congestion on the coastal section, which becomes heavily congested due to increased tourism, especially during the summer months, we have provided a much faster and more comfortable alternative route." He said.
Uraloğlu stated that travel time reduced from 1 hour to 30 minutes thanks to project resulting in annual savings of 240 million liras in time and 20 million liras in fuel, for a total of 260 million liras. At the same time this project will make a significant contribution to the environment and climate-friendly transportation by reducing carbon emmissions by 900 tons annually. And transportation between Yalova, Esenköy and Armutlu is now much faster, safer and more comfortable.
The Two Projects Complement Each Other
Uraloğlu stated that he would inspect the Yalova South Ring Road construction site in the afternoon, “with this project, we will create new an alternative to Yalova-Çınarcık-Armutlu corridor, which is used by avarege of 24,000 vehicles everday. By diverting part of the traffic from Yalova city center to the ring road, we will help alleviate congestion in the area and provide tourism centers with uninterrupted and faster access to the state road and the Istanbul-İzmir Motorway." He remarked. Briefing about the details of project which works are ongoing, Uraloğlu going on his word “We are constructing our 5.9-kilometer-long ring road as a divided road with a bituminous hot mix asphalt (BSK) pavement, As part of the project, also construct four bridges and four underpasses. We will shorten the road by 3,5 kilometers, reducing its length from 9,4 kilometers to 5,9 kilometer, more importantly we will reduce travel time from 19 minutes to just 3 minutes." He remarked.
He stated that the two projects complement each other and indicated that the projects would strengthen Yalova's transportation infrastructure as a whole. Uraloğlu stated that traffic congestion in Yalova city center would be reduced, particularly during religious holidays, the summer season, and weekends, and emphasized that the projects would boost the economy while also protecting the environment.
“These projects are, in fact, bridges extending toward the future of Yalova and reaching the hearts of our citizens."
Uraloğlu stated that they had implemented projects worth approximately 144 billion liras for Yalova's transport and communications infrastructure over the past 24 years, noting that they had increased the length of divided road from 19 kilometers to 85 kilometers and the length of roads with bituminous hot mix asphalt pavement from 23 kilometers to 121 kilometers.
Uraloğlu continued his remarks on the project, which was inaugurated in the region, saying; “With the Istanbul-İzmir Motorway and the Osmangazi Bridge, we have brought Yalova virtually next door to Istanbul and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. We completed and put into service such as the Yalova Station Bridge Crossing, Armutlu Ring Road, Dörtyol-Tonami Bridge Crossing along the Yalova city crossing, Yalova and Soğucak Terminal Bridge Crossings on the Yalova-Bursa Road. Along with the Yalova South Ring Road, we are also continuing important highway projects, including the repair works on the Bursa-Yalova Road.
Uraloğlu emphasized that the project inaugurated was not merely about roads, tunnels, and asphalt, and concluded his remarks by saying, “These projects are, in fact, bridges extending toward the future of Yalova and reaching the hearts of our citizens. Rest assured that we will continue to deliver many more projects to Yalova in line with the vision of the Century of Türkiye."
Safe, More Comfortable, Smooth Transporation
Speaking at the ceremony, Director General of Highways Ahmet Gülşen stated that Yalova, which has historically served as an important crossing point between the two sides of the Marmara Sea, has rapidly developed in recent years, becoming a hub where production, trade and mobility converge, driven by major transportation investments implemented in the province. He noted that this transformation has made it essential to strengthen Yalova's transportation infrastructure at the same pace.
Gülşen stated that, as the General Directorate of Highways, they have implemented major road projects, and that the completion and opening of the Yalova-Armutlu Road for traffic is one of the examples of this approach. He noted that traffic along the coastal section, which becomes particularly congested during the summer months due to increased tourism activity, has been significantly eased, providing both local residents and visitors who come to enjoy Yalova's natural beauty with safer, more comfortable and smoother transportation. Gülşen added that the investment would also support the tourism potential of the Armutlu Peninsula and contribute to the region's economic vitality, while making a significant contribution to ensuring uninterrupted transportation.
