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Dallıkavak Tunnel opens, cutting Erzurum-Rize crossing from 20 minutes to 5
The Dallıkavak Tunnel and connecting roads on the Erzurum-Rize highway have opened to traffic. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the tunnel eliminated eight sharp bends on the pass, which sits at an altitude of 2,349 meters, shortening the route by 4.5 kilometers and generating annual savings of 103 million liras.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu inaugurated the Dallıkavak Tunnel, built on the Erzurum-Rize highway, and the Dadaşkent-Yıldızkent New Generation Interchange at a ceremony.
Uraloğlu said the tunnel had shortened the route by approximately 4.5 kilometers. "We reduced the journey from 20 minutes to just 5 minutes. As a result, we will achieve annual savings of 103 million liras here," he said. The minister added that carbon emissions would also decline by approximately 1,350 tons annually.
A pass known for blizzards and ice is becoming a thing of the past
Uraloğlu recalled that the Dallıkavak Pass, at an altitude of 2,349 meters, was a challenging route for drivers in winter because of strong winds, blizzards and icy conditions. The minister said conditions at the summit became even harsher on days when thermometers in the city center showed minus 30 degrees Celsius, adding that every turn was a separate test for drivers because of the eight sharp bends and steep gradient.
Built with two tubes, the tunnel has a length of 3,105 meters per tube and a total length of 6,210 meters. In the first phase, a 9-kilometer section of the tunnel and connecting roads was opened to traffic. Since the route has been lowered to elevations 190 meters below the previous alignment, drivers will now use a more sheltered route instead of the summit, where snow and ice are most intense.
Forty-three kilometers of tunnels on the Erzurum-Rize route
Uraloğlu emphasized that the tunnel was one of the important links in the north-south corridor connecting the Eastern Black Sea region with Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. He said 43 kilometers of the 196-kilometer route had been built as tunnels. The minister said eight tunnels had been completed and construction of nine others was continuing, adding, "We will have built as many tunnels here as were built throughout the entire history of the Republic."
The project serves as a continuation and complement to the Ovit Tunnel, which opened in 2018, and the Kırık Tunnel, which is under construction. Uraloğlu said the Dadaşkent interchange in Erzurum city center would also generate annual savings of 137 million liras and that the investment would pay for itself in approximately one year.
Divided highways exceed 30,000 kilometers
Uraloğlu also addressed transportation investments across Türkiye, saying the length of divided highways had risen from 6,101 kilometers to more than 30,000 kilometers, while the length of bridges and viaducts had increased from 311 kilometers to 837 kilometers. The minister said the total length of tunnels, which stood at 50 kilometers in 2002, had reached 898 kilometers, and the number of provinces connected by divided highways had risen from seven to 77.
Uraloğlu said more than 168 billion liras had been invested in Erzurum's transportation and communications infrastructure. He added that the length of divided highways in the province had increased from 49 kilometers to 629 kilometers, while construction continued on 17 highway projects, including the Trabzon-Aşkale road, which includes the Kop Mountain Tunnel, and the Kırık Tunnel.
High-speed rail planned for the Erzincan-Erzurum-Kars line
Uraloğlu announced that the railway extending as far as Sivas would be converted into a high-speed railway on the Erzincan-Erzurum-Kars line. The minister said the existing line would first be electrified and equipped with signaling, followed by construction of a double-track high-speed railway. "This is not just Erzurum's project. We are talking about a line that starts in Central Asia, in Turkestan, and runs through Türkiye all the way to London," he said.
Minister Uraloğlu said consultations were also continuing on Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality's urban rail system project and that the project would be implemented at an appropriate time.
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