The New Zigana Tunnel project in Turkey is currently under construction and is expected to cost up to US$1 billion in all. When complete this tunnel will measure an impressive 14.5km long. The two lane tunnel will connect Gumushane and Trabzon in the country’s north east, and will be located at an altitude of over 1,200m above sea level. The construction of the tunnel will replace the existing route over the Zigana Pass, which reaches an altitude above sea level of 2,032m. Once complete the new tunnel under the Pontic Mountains will cut the route by 8km and reduce journey times by around 20 minutes. The Zigana Pass is noted as a high risk route, with poor weather making it dangerous and particularly in winter periods. The new tunnel will boost safety and cut crashes. The construction of this new tunnel is expected to improve transport links for Turkey as well as for the Middle East, Iran and the Caucasus through to the Eastern Black Sea.
The existing Zigana Tunnel measures just 1.7km long and opened to traffic in 1977. It lies at an altitude of around 1,800m and is orientated in the north-south direction.
The existing Zigana Tunnel measures just 1.7km long and opened to traffic in 1977. It lies at an altitude of around 1,800m and is orientated in the north-south direction.
