Osman Gazi Bridge

Osman Gazi Bridge
Osman Gazi Köprüsü

Osman Gazi Bridge at the Gulf of İzmit, July 2016
Coordinates 40°45′19″N 29°30′57″E / 40.755153°N 29.515712°E / 40.755153; 29.515712Coordinates: 40°45′19″N 29°30′57″E / 40.755153°N 29.515712°E / 40.755153; 29.515712
Carries 3 lanes of Motorway in each direction
Crosses Izmit Bay
Locale Kocaeli, Turkey
Official name Osmangazi Köprüsü
Other name(s) İzmit Bay Bridge
Named for Osman Gazi
Maintained by
  • Nömayg - Nurol, Özaltın, Makyol, Yüksel, Gocay
Characteristics
Design Suspension
Material steel
Pier construction concrete
Total length 2,682 m (8,799 ft)[1]
Width 35.93 m (117.9 ft)[1]
Height 234.425 m (769.11 ft) (pylons)[1]
Traversable? Yes
Longest span 1,550 m (5,090 ft)
Number of spans 3
Piers in water 2
Clearance below 64 m (210 ft)
History
Architect Dissing+Weitling
Designer IHI Corporation
Contracted lead designer IHI Corporation
Engineering design by COWI A/S
Construction begin 30 March 2013 (2013-03-30)
Construction end 30 June 2016 (2016-06-30)
Construction cost US$ 1.2 billion[2]
Inaugurated 1 July 2016 (2016-07-01)
Statistics
Daily traffic approx. 6000 PCE/day [3]
Toll 88.75
Osman Gazi Bridge
Location in Marmara

The Osman Gazi Bridge (Turkish: Osman Gazi Köprüsü) is a suspension bridge, located at the Gulf of İzmit along the eastern end of the Sea of Marmara, in close vicinity of Izmit and approximately 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the fourth-longest suspension bridge in the world by the length of its central span.

Project

Construction and operation of the bridge was awarded to a joint venture (NOMAYG JV) formed by five Turkish companies (Nurol, Özaltın, Makyol, Yüksel and Gocay) and one Italian construction company Astaldi following the international Build–operate–transfer tender that took place in April 2009.[4][5] In 2010, a contract was signed for the project that was estimated to cost 11 billion for the entire highway from Gebze to Bursa.

On March 30, 2013, Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan laid the ground stone for the bridge.[6]

After the completion of the bridge, the distance between Istanbul and İzmir shortened by about 140 km (87 mi), bypassing the long-stretched Gulf of İzmit. The 420 km (260 mi) highway and bridge reduced the travel time between the two major cities from six-and-half hours to three-and-half hours. The bridge and the connecting highway provide three lanes of traffic in each direction. The construction was completed in 30 June 2016.[7][8]

EPC Bridge Contractor

The US$1 billion privately financed bridge was awarded to the Japanese firm IHI Infrastructure System Co. on 16 July 2011 as EPC basis with FIDIC Silverbook contract. IHI, which was one of the contractors of second Bosphorus bridge, also completed the seismic reinforcement projects for Halic and Mecidiyekoy viaducts. IHI subcontracted the design works to Danish engineering design firm COWI A/S, which collaborated for the aesthetic design with Dissing+Weitling. Notice to proceed was given by NOMAYG JV to IHI on 1 January 2013 and the expected total project duration was 37 months.

The dimensions are:[5][7]

The bridge is fourth longest suspension bridge in the world.[9]

Accident at construction site

The bridge after the accident.

On March 21, 2015, a catwalk broke away from its bolted joint cable on the south tower during the construction at the bridge and fell into the water. Added in February 2015, the catwalk was needed to allow workers access to the other side of the bay. No one was harmed by the accident as work was interrupted at this section due to windy weather. Marine traffic to and from İzmit Bay was suspended following the accident for security reasons and resumed after recovering the cable in the morning of March 23.[10][11]

Kishi Ryoichi, the 51-year-old Japanese engineer of the IHI-Itochu Consortium, who was in charge of the construction at site, committed suicide by cutting his wrist and throat with a blade knife. He was found dead at the entrance of a cemetery near his lodging in Altınova. He left a note saying that "...this failure ends my private and professional life. This project was mine and my country's pride. No one else is responsible for this failure."[8][11][12][13]

Tolls

As of July 1, 2016, the bridge tolls are:[14]

Vehicle class Toll ₺ (TRY) Toll $ (USD)
Vehicles with 2 axles, wheelbase <3.2m 88.75 ~30.60
Vehicles with 2 axles, wheelbase >3.2m 141.95 ~48.90
Vehicles with 3 axles 168.60 ~58.10
Vehicles with 4 or 5 axles 223.60 ~77.10
Vehicles with 6 or more axles 282.15 ~97.30
Motorcycles 62.10 ~21.40

The four-time Supersport World champion Kenan Sofuoğlu from Turkey made a show of motorcycle speed trial in the early hours of June 30, 2016 right before the official opening of the bridge. He traversed the 1.5 km (0.93 mi) distance in 26 seconds reaching a top speed of 400 km/h (250 mph) on his Kawasaki H2R motorcycle.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://www.otoyolas.com.tr/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2.jpg
  2. ↑ http://www.brodag.dk/Synopsis/2014/11%20IZMIT.pdf Cost of bridge (page 4)
  3. ↑ "Vapur lobisine çalışıyor". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  4. ↑ Turkey Infrastructure Report Q4 2009
  5. 1 2 "Körfez köprüsü dünya dördüncüsü olacak". Radikal (in Turkish). 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
  6. ↑ "İzmit Körfez Geçişi Asma Köprüsü'nün Temeli Atıldı". Son Dakika (in Turkish). 2013-03-30. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  7. 1 2 "Izmit Bay bridge". Dissing+Weitling architecture. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
  8. 1 2 "Japanese engineer commits suicide after İzmit bridge cable snaps". Today's Zaman. 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  9. ↑ "Bu otoyolla İzmir-İstanbul 3.5 saate iniyor". Radikal (in Turkish). 2009-06-20. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
  10. ↑ "Körfez Köprüsü'nde kablo koptu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2015-03-21. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  11. 1 2 "Dev projenin mühendisi ölü bulundu". Milliyet (in Turkish). 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  12. ↑ "Körfez Geçiş Köprüsü'nde çalışan Japon mühendis intihar etti". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  13. ↑ "İzmit Körfez Geçiş Köprüsü Halatı Koptu, Japon Mühendis İntihar Etti". Habertürk (in Turkish). 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  14. ↑ http://isletme.otoyolas.com.tr/?page_id=3956 Toll calculator
  15. ↑ "Kenan Sofuoğlu, Osmangazi Köprüsü'nde 400 kilometre hıza ulaştı!". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  16. ↑ "Production Bike World Record 0-400 kmh in 26 sec. HD". July 1, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
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