Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Çamlıbel Tunnel, which will further strengthen the link between Tokat and Sivas. In his statement, Minister Uraloğlu noted that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they continue to serve every inch of Turkey, saying 'No stopping, keep going.'
'We have equipped every corner of our country with high-standard roads.' Noting that highways are the main artery of the logistics system due to their flexibility in freight and passenger transport, the possibility of door-to-door delivery, and fast transportation of goods, Uraloğlu continued: 'As in developed countries, in Turkey too, highways are a fundamental element that increases the contribution of industrial, agricultural, and tourism activities to economic growth. In the last 24 years, with our investments in highway infrastructure, we have practically rebuilt Turkey. We have equipped every corner of our country with high-standard roads. We increased our divided road network from 6,101 kilometers in 2002 to 30,086 kilometers. We raised our motorway network from 1,714 kilometers to 3,796 kilometers.'
While only 6 provinces were connected by divided roads, today we have linked 77 provinces with safe and comfortable roads. Uraloğlu also said that they continue to raise road standards on the east-west and north-south corridors where traffic flow is concentrated in Turkey.
Uraloğlu stated: 'In the east-west direction, we have completed 7,884 kilometers of the 5 corridors totaling 8,524 kilometers, which is 92 percent of the corridors. In the north-south direction, we have finished 10,900 kilometers of the 18 corridors totaling 12,146 kilometers, which is 90 percent.'
TUNNEL LENGTH INCREASED 17-FOLD Stating that they provide safe and comfortable transportation with bridges and tunnels that challenge nature by crossing high mountains and deep valleys in difficult terrains, Uraloğlu said: 'With many tunnels like Ovit, Zigana, Salarha, 15 July Ilgaz, Pirinkayalar, Eğribel, Demirkapı, we are overcoming one by one the obstacles imposed by the geography especially in our north-south axis where mountains run parallel to the coast.'
Look, whereas only 50 kilometers of tunnels were built in the 80 years up to 2002, we increased this length by about 17 times to 868 kilometers. Do you know what this means? It means being able to build a tunnel between Sivas and Tokat city centers with no daylight seen four times each. We are talking about an underground road network stretching from Sivas to Bursa, from Tokat to Van,' he said.
Uraloğlu also stated that these tunnels are not just roads piercing mountains; they are lifelines through which production, trade, tourism, employment, and unity flow. Minister Uraloğlu spoke as follows: 'Today, with this understanding, we are proud to start the construction works that will cross the Çamlıbel Pass with a double-tube tunnel on the strategic corridor extending from Ordu Ünye to Adana Karataş, which is our number 11 north-south axis.'
'We have invested a total of 351 billion lira in Tokat and Sivas' transport and communication infrastructure.' Pointing out that the provinces of Sivas and Tokat are located at the intersection of main routes connecting the Black Sea to Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia to Western Anatolia, and the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, Uraloğlu said: 'They have an important role in Turkey's both east-west and north-south transportation network.' Therefore, we have developed the transport infrastructure and highway networks of both cities. In this context, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the last 24 years, we have invested a total of 351 billion lira in Tokat and Sivas' transport and communication infrastructure,' he said.
Uraloğlu stated that they increased Tokat's divided road length from 16 kilometers to 311 kilometers, and Sivas' divided road length from 24 kilometers to 838 kilometers.
Uraloğlu made the following statements: 'In Tokat, we implemented projects such as Turhal-Tokat, Tokat-Çamlıbel, Aybastı-Reşadiye, and Tokat Ring Roads; and in Sivas, projects like Şarkışla-Kaynar, Hafik-Doğanşar, Sivas-Çamlıbel-Tokat, Koyulhisar-Mesudiye, and Kangal-Çetinkaya Ayrım Divriği Road. We connected them to their neighbors with divided roads.'
As you know, Sivas and Tokat have shared a common destiny throughout history, shouldering the difficulties of the same geography side by side, and sharing the same joys and goals. Today, we are once again crowning this ancient unity of destiny with the Çamlıbel Tunnel. The Çamlıbel Tunnel is a project that will bring our two cities closer not only on the map but also in heart and road unity.
'Our Çamlıbel Tunnel is a total project of 7.7 kilometers with its 3-kilometer connection roads.' Uraloğlu emphasized that the Çamlıbel Pass, rising to 1,684 meters with its steep slopes and sharp bends, known for its scorching heat in summer and snow, blizzard, and dense fog in winter, is a magnificent but equally challenging pass.
Uraloğlu said: 'Severe winter conditions, sharp bends, and steep ramps have challenged our drivers for years, unfortunately sometimes taking lives and slowing down our trade by stealing our time. It is like a tough test of nature, almost like a mountain gate that doesn't want to give way.'
Uraloğlu said: 'By crossing this challenging geography woven by nature with steep slopes through our 4,735-meter Çamlıbel Tunnel, we will turn it into a straight, safe, and comfortable road. We will now consign the arduous journeys in this region to history. In fact, our Çamlıbel Tunnel, which we will build as a double-tube, with a length of 4,735 meters, together with the 3-kilometer connection roads, is a total project of 7.7 kilometers. It will start from around Ilıca Pond at the 9th kilometer of the Yıldızeli-Sivas Junction - Tokat Road and connect to around İhsaniye Pond at the 19th kilometer,' he said.
'WE WILL REDUCE TRAVEL TIME TO 5 MINUTES' Noting that with the tunnel they will lower the transportation elevation by 286 meters from 1,684 meters to 1,398 meters, Uraloğlu said: 'We will bypass 13 sharp bends, shorten the route by 2.3 kilometers, and reduce travel time to 5 minutes. Thus, we will save a total of 371 million lira annually, consisting of 313 million lira in time and 58 million lira in fuel. We will protect this ancient geography by reducing exhaust emissions by 2,794 tons,' he stated.
Stating that when the tunnel is completed, they will raise the transportation standard between Sivas and the interior regions, and the Black Sea coast and ports, Uraloğlu continued: 'We will make significant contributions to the regional economy by reducing logistics costs, especially in Sivas and Tokat, increasing trade volume, revitalizing tourism mobility, and ensuring faster delivery of agricultural products to markets. We will also make the increasing traffic between Tokat and Yıldızeli safe and comfortable with the bus services operated reciprocally from Tokat center to Yıldızeli Station, which was put into service within the scope of the Ankara-Sivas High-Speed Train Line. It will strengthen the socio-economic dynamics of our region, provide employment opportunities for our youth, and offer alternative corridors in disasters and emergencies.'
