A connection road on the Northern Marmara Highway was put into service yesterday. The Paşaköy-TEM Kurtköy connection road, which is 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) long, was opened in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Yıldırım announced that both a railway and high-speed trains will pass over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, connecting to Izmit on the one side, and to the high-speed train in Halkalı that goes to Edirne on the other side, and then on to Europe.

The prime minister also said that with the completion of the connection road project, the Anatolian Highway will be connected to the Northern Marmara Highway and that heavy vehicles transiting from the Anatolian side to the European side would not enter the city, thus relieving the heavy traffic in Istanbul.

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the Northern Marmara Highway Paşaköy-TEM Kurtköy connection road, held at the TEM Kurtköy connection road toll station, Prime Minister Yıldırım said the government has accomplished all the projects that were called impossible in just 15 years, along with investments, improvements in the economy, exports, agriculture and democracy, and has made Turkey's dreams come true.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Arslan said they have broken new ground in all areas of transportation over the past 15 years, highlighting that citizens have been able to take advantage of the various projects in all areas of transportation.

"We are realizing all the projects that are complementary to the international transport corridor one by one," Arslan said, noting that while facilitating the life of citizens and increasing the comfort of travel, they also work day and night for the trade and economy to grow and for Turkey to benefit from its advantageous position by completing the transportation corridors.

Arslan pointed out that Turkey, serving as a bridge between Asia, Europe and Africa, has not been given her dues in terms of transportation corridors, stressing that the projects in this field have been ongoing for the last 15 years.

Arslan said that thanks to these projects, barriers to trade have been removed and access to target markets of raw materials and finished goods has been facilitated.

Underlining that the projects will continue without a pause, Arslan said, "The targets we set out are not limited to the projects we have realized. Hopefully we will build and finish much bigger and better projects that will contribute to the development of our country together."

The Northern Marmara Highway Paşaköy-TEM Kurtköy connection road on the TEM Kurtköy road will connect the Anatolian Highway to the Northern Marmara Highway, and will save time and energy by connected heavy vehicle traffic that transits through Istanbul directly to the Northern Highway on the Sultanbeyli-Kurtköy site. In addition, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the third airport currently under construction and Atatürk Airport will be connected by this road system.