Mount Zigana Tunnel, connecting the Black Sea cities of Gümüşhane and Trabzon, will become a symbol of development in the region and contribute in all aspects, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday.

Speaking to supporters at the inauguration ceremony of the tunnel, considered to be the longest of its kind in Europe and third in the world, Erdoğan said it will allow people to save time and gas and will also connect the Black Sea ports with the country’s south.

The 14.5-kilometer twin-tube tunnel lies on a section of the ancient Silk Road that connects the eastern Black Sea region to Iran and Asia.

The tunnel consists of two tubes with a combined length of 29 kilometers. It has two entrances, one in Köstere village of Gümüşhane and the other in the Başarköy village of Trabzon. From the Trabzon entrance, motorists will climb to 1,264 meters from 1,015 meters. It is located at a far lower altitude compared to the Mount Ovit Tunnel, also located in the region, running at an altitude of 1,800 meters.

The Zigana tunnel will shorten the distance between Gümüşhane and Trabzon by 40 minutes, allowing motorists an easier route than the challenging Zigana pass.