Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu on Sunday highlighted the significance of ongoing infrastructure initiatives in Istanbul as he unveiled further plans to intensify investments in metro and railway developments as a strategic measure to alleviate mounting traffic woes that the city has been facing.
"We are connecting Istanbul through both underground and above-ground metro and railway systems, creating a web-like network. The total rail system network in Istanbul measures 338.8 kilometers (210.9 miles). The combined length of the metro lines we have put into service is 130.2 kilometers," the minister told the Sabah newspaper.
Stating that currently there are routes stretching a total of 55.7 kilometers under construction, the minister said once these projects are completed the total length of metro lines added to the city would reach 185.9 kilometers.
"When all projects are finished, Istanbul's total rail system network will extend to 394.5 kilometers, with half of it being developed by our ministry," he noted.
"Our main goal is to ensure that our citizens do not face transportation woes," Uraloğlu said, emphasizing that continuous metro construction aims to relieve the congested traffic in Istanbul and provide a comfortable and convenient means of transport for citizens.
Detailing the projects conducted by the ministry, including some historic projects such as Marmaray and the Sabiha Gökçen-Kaynarca metro route, which ensured direct connection to the airport on the city's Anatolian side, the minister also announced new projects.
Completed metro routes
Among numerous lines inaugurated by the ministry into the system in the past decade, the Sabah report recalled the 3.3-kilometer-long Levent-Hisarüstü metro line, which opened for service in November 2015.
The project significantly reduced traffic congestion on Nispetiye Avenue, an important thoroughfare in Istanbul.
The aforementioned 7.4-kilometer metro route that connected the Sabiha Gökçen Airport with the Kadıköy-Kartal-Kaynarca metro route opened for service in October last year, significantly easing transport and ensuring faster and more economic transportation to the aero hub.
In contrast, in line with the opening of Istanbul Airport on the coast of the Black Sea, on the northern side of the city nearly five years ago, the ministry had undertaken the incentive for the construction of the Gayrettepe-Kağıthane-Istanbul Airport metro route.
So far, 34 kilometers of the total 37.5-kilometer line is operational.
On the other hand, the recently inaugurated 6.2-kilometer-long Başakşehir-Kayaşehir metro route, apart from serving the area of the city hospital contributed to the public transport infrastructure in this developing area in the European part of the city.
The Marmaray, the undersea railway tunnel connecting Europe and Asia under the Bosporus, being one of the vital infrastructure projects, was opened for service on Oct. 29, 2013. Since March 2019, the route expanded to 43 stations connecting areas of Gebze and Halkalı with the total duration between stations measuring less than two hours.
Earlier in July, the minister in a written statement noted that a staggering 1 billion commuters used the route in nearly a decade since its inception.
New generation rail project
Expected to be completed by the end of 2023, the new generation rail project, expected to accommodate high-speed trains, conventional trains, city transport and tourist trains, the Kazlıçeşme-Sirkeci route aims to revitalize the route bearing the same name, which had been dormant after the Marmaray project.
Encompassing a span of 8.3 kilometers, the project with eight stations includes establishing green areas and bike lanes.
Speaking at the test drive ceremony on the route on Saturday, the minister said: "We are creating the general concept of popularization of public transport and bicycle use in cities and pedestrianization projects, to which we attach great importance. Our Kazlıçeşme-Sirkeci Urban Transportation and Recreation-Oriented Transformation Project is one of the best examples of this."