Turkish trans-continental tunnel to tie Asia and Europe

Excavation work is in hand for the Eurasia Tunnel in Turkey. South Korean contractor SK Engineering and Construction (SK E&C) is carrying out the excavation work as part of a BOT contract. The project is costing some US$1.24 billion and the 5.4km tunnel will provide a new trans-continental connection between the towns of Goztepe and Kazlicesme when it opens in 2017. Running below the Bosporus Strait, the tunnel is expected to reduce the travel time to 15 minutes from the current 100 minutes. The Eurasia Tunnel will be the first underwater passage to be built between Europe and Asia and will be able to handle some 120,000 vehicles/day due to its double-deck design.