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KORGUN-KURŞUNLU ROAD COMPLETED: TRAVEL DISTANCE FROM ÇANKIRI TO ISTANBUL REDUCED BY 40 KILOMETRES

The Korgun-Kurşunlu Road, which improves connectivity between the districts of Çankırı, was officially opened at a ceremony attended by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Director General of Highways Ahmet Gülşen.

“We Are Continuing to Strengthen Çankırı's Transportation Infrastructure"

Speaking at the ceremony Minister Uraloğlu stated that more than 55 billion Turkish liras had been invested in Çankırı's transport and communications infrastructure since 2002. Uraloğlu stated that they had significantly increased the length of divided roads in the province, saying, “We increased the length of divided roads from 18 kilometres in 2002 to 256 kilometres. We connected Çankırı to all its neighbouring provinces Ankara, Karabük, Bolu, Kastamonu and Kırıkkale, via divided roads.

Uraloğlu noted that the Ilgaz 15 July Independence Tunnel, which was opened to traffic in 2016, transformed Mount Ilgaz, particularly difficult to cross during the winter months, into a convenient route for freight and passenger transport, providing safe year-round travel along the Kastamonu-Çankırı route. He added that the investments had benefits extending beyond the connection between the two cities, strengthening links between Black Sea coastal cities such as Kastamonu and Sinop and inland region, while improving the standarts of the transport network extending from Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

Highlighting the importance of the road connecting Korgun's industrial potential with Kurşunlu's agricultural production capacity for regional transportation, Uraloğlu shared the technical details of the project. Stating that the road was constructed over a length of 29 kilometres with a bituminous hot-mix pavement, Uraloğlu noted that 3.4 kilometres of the route had been completed as a divided road, while the remaining 25.6 kilometres had been completed as a reversible line with safety lanes.

Uraloğlu stated that the project included the opening of the 47-metre-long Kurşunlu Interchange, three bridges with a total length of 89 metres, and a 33-metre-long steel culvert. He noted that improvements had been made to enhance road safety along the route, which features high elevations and challenging geographical conditions. Uraloğlu added that the road platform width had been increased from 6–7 metres to 12 metres, while the design speed had been raised from 50 kilometers to 70 kilometers. He also stated that steel mesh had been installed across an area of 66,000 square metres to ensure safety along steep rocky slopes and rugged terrain.

Uraloğlu stated that the Kurşunlu Junction had been converted into a grade-separated interchange and the railway underpass had been upgraded with a steel culvert. He noted that these improvements had enhanced traffic flow along the route.

Travel Time Reduced by 21 Minutes

Minister Uraloğlu emphasized the significant reduction in travel time achieved with the Korgun-Kurşunlu Road and provided the following information on the project's economic and environmental benefits:

“With all these Works, we shortened the route by 2 kilometers to 29 kilometers and reduced travel time by 21 minutes, from 45 minutes to 24 minutes. Through these improvements, we will achieve annual savings of TL 560 milllion in total, including TL 381 million in travel time saving and TL 179 million in fuel savings. We will also contribute to environmental protection by reducing carbon emissions from vehicles, which harm the environmental, by 8,800 tons."

Uraloğlu stated that the new road facilitate access from Çankırı to the D-100 State Road via Korgun and Kurşunlu, noting that this connection would shorten the route by approximately 40 kilometers. He emphasized that, in addition to providing safer and more comfortable transportation, the invesment would support Çankırı's agricultural, tourism and trade potential, adding that the project would contribute to regional development in the long term.

Highway Investments Continue in Çankırı

Minister Uraloğlu stated that efforts to improve transportation infrastructure across Çankırı were ongoing, noting that work was continuing on eight highway projects, including the Çankırı Ring Road, Orta-Şabanözü Road, Kurşunlu-Tosya Junction-Çankırı Road, and Şabanözü-Ankara Road.

Uraloğlu stated that, prior to the opening of the Korgun-Kurşunlu Road, they had inspected the ongoing works on the Orta-Şabanözü Road. He recalled that 5 kilometres of the road, which was designed to be 27 kilometres long, along with Bastak Bridge, had been opened to traffic 2025. He added that the 3-kilometre section on the Orta Ring Road side, where construction works had been ongoing as a part of the project, had also been opened to traffic.

Stated that the works in Çankırı Ring Road was ongoing Minister Uraloğlu noted that the project would reduce the burden of transit traffic on the city centre upon completion. Uraloğlu recalled that the 6.5-kilometre section extending from the Kenbağı area to the Yapraklı Road junction had been opened to traffic approximately two years ago, adding that work was ongoing on the 6-kilometre section between Yapraklı Junction and Eldivan Junction.

Uraloğlu stated that the completion of this section would allow transit traffic to bypass Çankırı city centre entirely and be diverted to the ring road. He added that they aimed to complete the Çankırı Ring Road project in 2027.

“Strengthening Transportation Links Between Çankırı's Districts Is of Great Importance"

General Director of Highways Ahmet Gülşen also stated in his speech at the ceremony that strengthening transportation links between the districts of Çankırı, which is located on a major transit route between Central Anatolia and the Black Sea region, was of great importance for accessibility and regional development.

Gülşen stated that the Korgun-Kurşunlu Road had been designed with a total length of 29 kilometres, noting that 3.4 kilometres had been completed as a divided road and the remaining 25.6 kilometers as a single lane road, both with a bitumious hot-mix surface.

Gülşen stated that upgrading the physical and geometric standards of the Korgun-Kurşunlu Road had made transportation faster, safer and more comfortable. He emphasised that junction and underpass improvements had also ensured smoother and more uninterrupted traffic flow along the route.