First Tender Lodged for Canal İstanbul Project

* Photo: Arif Hüdaverdi Yaman

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A tender has been lodged for the reconstruction of Odabaşı and Dursunköy historical bridges along the planned route of Canal İstanbul project, an artificial waterway across the city from Black Sea to Marmara Sea.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the first tender for the project was held at the 1st Regional Directorate of Highways today (March 26) and the bids were received in a sealed tender.

While five companies participated in the Tender for Historical Odabaşı and Historical Dursunköy Bridges within the Impact Area of Canal İstanbul, Artuklu Architecture Company's bid was deemed invalid, Mukarnas Architecture Company bidded 500 thousand Turkish Lira (TRY), Hasan Fehmi Şahin 550 thousand TRY, Safir Jeoteknik Company 507 thousand TRY and Altıparmak Architecture Company 408 thousand TRY.

Bridges to be dismantled for reconstruction

In the special technical specification for the tender, the purpose of the work is indicated as "preparing projects based on the principle of dismantling and transporting the solid parts and completing the missing parts of the bridges to ensure that historical Odabaşı Bridge in Başakşehir and historical Dursunköy Bridge in Arnavutköy located within the impact area of Canal İstanbul Project can be preserved and passed on to the next generations."

According to the specification, the vicinity of the bridges will be digged for examination, thereby identifying where the bridges start and end. The company who wins the tender will dismantle the bridges, transport the constructional components, reconstruct them and complete missing parts.

It will also look for alternative places so that the bridges can be transported to closest possible places to their original locations and the company will ultimately decide where the bridges will be reconstructed. The time span of the project has been specified as 350 days.

Canal İstanbul project

PPresident and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement in 2011, when he was still the Prime Minister.

In his speech, he mentioned "a new İstanbul" objective. Presented as a "crazy project", the plan referred to 'Canal İstanbul' for the first time.

What is in the 'crazy project'?

The basic information as to the project was shared with the public at a press conference in Haliç Congress Center in 2011. The plan foresaw an artificial sea-level waterway that would connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The most important aspect of the project was the integration of transportation. The construction of 3rd Bosphorus bridge foreseen by the project has been completed.

In May 2016, 32 articles of 20 laws were amended. An additional article added to the Pasture Law has paved the way for the region's zoning for construction.

With another amendment introduced to the law, it has been understood that the access roads to the Canal İstanbul will be toll roads.

Ahmet Arslan, the then Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications, announced the route of the project in 2018. He said that the canal would form an artificial waterway from the Black Sea to Marmara Sea, covering 45 kilometers from Küçükçekmece Lake through Küçükçekmece-Sazlıdere-Durusu corridor.

The process of Environmental Impact Assessment

The Board of Inspection and Survey of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report of the Canal İstanbul project on December 23, 2019.

Accordingly, the report was presented to the public at the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and İstanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization for 10 days. The citizens submitted petitions of objection against the project within this period.

On January 17, 2020, Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum announced that they approved the EIA report of Canal İstanbul.

(TP/SD)