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]

• main span length: 1,550 m (5,090 ft)
• side spans length: 566 m (1,857 ft)
• clearance: 64 m (210 ft)
• tower height: 252.0 m (826.8 ft)
• tower size (at the base): 8 m × 7 m (26 ft × 23 ft)
• deck size: 35.93 m × 4.75 m (117.9 ft × 15.6 ft)

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]

In popular culture

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

• Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
• Eurasia Tunnel
• Great Istanbul Tunnel
• Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
• Bosphorus Bridge

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Osman Gazi Bridge.

• Izmit Bay Bridge at Structurae

Bridges in Turkey
Abdal Bridge Ağın Bridge Akköprü Ala Bridge Altıgöz Bridge Aspendos (Eurymedon) Bridge Atatürk Bridge Baç Bridge Birecik Bridge Bosphorus Bridge Demirköprü Devlet Bahçeli Bridge Dicle Bridge Fatih Bridge Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge Fırtına River bridges Galata Bridge Gazi Mihal Bridge Golden Horn Metro Bridge Haliç Bridge Hasankeyf Old Bridge Kanuni Bridge Kanuni Sultan Suleiman Bridge Kemerarası Bridge Kömürhan Bridge Malabadi Bridge Meriç Bridge Misis Bridge Nasrullah Bridge Nissibi Euphrates Bridge Osman Gazi Bridge Penkalas Bridge Saraçhane Bridge Severan Bridge Silifke Bridge Selge (Eurymedon) Bridge Şahruh Bridge Şekerpınarı Bridge Taşköprü Uzunköprü Varda Bridge Yalnızgöz Bridge Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge Yeni Imaret Bridge
Bridges in italic are under construction