One of the longest suspension bridges in the world has generated a combined TL 211 billion (over $4.5 billion) in fuel and time savings for Türkiye since it was launched a decade ago, a senior official said Wednesday.
Osmangazi Bridge, spanning the Gulf of Izmit at its narrowest point, was opened to traffic on July 1, 2026, to become the centerpiece of the 426-kilometer Istanbul-Izmir Highway.
It significantly cuts down travel time between Istanbul and the western provinces by bypassing the long drive around the gulf or the need to wait for car ferries.
Stretching more than 2.6 kilometers (about 1.6 miles) in total, it lowered travel times across the gulf from up to 1.5 hours by road or 45-60 minutes by ferry to just six minutes.
"The bridge has delivered approximately TL 40 billion in fuel savings and TL 171 billion in time savings over the past 10 years, bringing the total economic benefit to TL 211 billion," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
Uraloğlu added that the shorter crossing has also reduced carbon emissions by 2 million tons over the same period.
Marking the bridge's 10th anniversary, the minister said its construction was completed in 39 months.
Uraloğlu highlighted several engineering milestones achieved during construction, saying the bridge contains 109,490 tons of steel, equivalent to roughly 73,000 automobiles.
The steel cables used in the suspension system would stretch 84,518 kilometers if laid end to end, enough to circle the Earth more than twice.
The bridge's main deck covers 96,364 square meters, an area comparable to about 14 football pitches, he said.
The minister also said the project set world records during construction.
A 22,500-ton steel deck section was installed using the incremental launching method, which he described as the world's largest operation of its kind for a steel viaduct.
Two additional deck sections weighing 2,300 tons and 2,600 tons were installed using heavy-lift techniques, also setting global records for steel viaduct construction, he added.
