The hybrid cable-stayed suspension bridge forms part of the ongoing 150km Northern Marmara Highway project, which is being built by a joint venture of IC Ictas and Astaldi under a US$3bn build-operate-transfer contract.
“The Third Bosphorus Bridge is a bridge of firsts that brings the industry of professional engineering to new heights,” said Astaldi Group chairman Paolo Astaldi.
The Third Bosphorus Bridge claims a number of records, including for an ultra-wide 59m that carries eight lanes of motorway and two rail lines. Its A-shaped towers are, at 322m, taller than the Eiffel Tower. The 1,408m main span’s length has been made possible by a combined cable-stayed and suspension design.
The inauguration also marks the opening of the first phase of the North Marmara Highway. ԭ activities for the contract began in 2013 and work on the remaining sections of motorway is ongoing.