Erkenek Tunnel (Turkish: Erkenek Tüneli), is a road tunnel in Malatya province, eastern Turkey opened in 2017 connecting Eastern Anatolia region with the Mediterranean Region.

Erkenek Tunnel
Erkenek Tüneli
Overview
LocationErkenek, Doğanşehir, Malatya Province, Turkey
Coordinates37°55′33″N 37°52′22″E / 37.92589°N 37.87282°E / 37.92589; 37.87282
Erkenek Tunnel is located in Turkey
Erkenek Tunnel
Erkenek Tunnel
Location of Erkenek Tunnel in Turkey.
Route D.850
Operation
Work begun2011
Opened28 May 2017; 6 years ago (2017-05-28)
OperatorGeneral Directorate of Highways
Trafficautomotive
Technical
Length1,816 m (5,958 ft)

Erkenek Tunnel is situated on the highway D.850 between Doğanşehir in Malatya Province and Gölbaşı in Adıyaman Province, west of Erkenek village. It connects Eastern Anatolia with the Mediterranean Region bypassing the Erkenek Pass, which made the heavy truck traffic difficult during the winter season. It is a twin-tube tunnel with a length of 1,816 m (5,958 ft).[1]

Construction of the tunnel began in 2011.As insufficient soil survey and boring works caused mass wasting and subsidence, it lasted six years due to additional ground reinforcement works. The cost of construction is 253 million (approx. US$72 million. The opening of the tunnel took place in presence of Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Ahmet Arslan, Minister of Customs and Trade Bülent Tüfenkci and some other high-ranked local officials on 28 May 2017.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Doğu Anadolu'yu Akdeniz'e bağlayan Erkenek Tüneli açıldı". HHürriyet (in Turkish). 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2017-06-02.