Transportation   Metro Projects

4/24/2017

Important Disclosures Made by Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbaş (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality - İBB)

Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbaş (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality) said that the tendering procedures for the new metro lines in Istanbul have been finalized and works will be started for the lines in question at the soonest

Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbaş (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality - İBB) made disclosures during the City Council meeting where the Activity Report for 2016 has been approved with a majority of votes.

Mayor Topbaş stated that the tendering procedures for the new metro lines in Istanbul have been finalized and works will be started for the lines in question at the soonest. Topbaş stating that the new metro lines have been determined as Başakşehir-Kayaşehir, Bağcılar-Kirazlı-Küçükçekmece–Halkalı, Kaynarca-Pendik Tuzla, Çekmeköy-Taşdelen-Sultanbeyli and Ümraniye-Ataşehir-Göztepe, said “We had actually tendered 6 lines but one of them is still pending due to objections.”

As will be recalled, 12 companies and/or joint ventures applied for pre-qualification for the construction and electromechanical works of Mahmutbey-Bahçeşehir-Esenyurt Metro Line tendered by İBB TEBA:1809/ March 31, 2017. Assessment studies are still underway.

Contracts were signed respectively with Doğuş İnşaat+Özaltın İnşaat+Yapı Merkezi in the tender for Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli Metro Line, with Alsim Alarko+Cengiz İnşaat in the tender for Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro Line and with Gülermak Ağır Sanayi A.Ş.+Nurol İnşaat Partnership in the tender for Ümraniye-Ataşehir-Göztepe Metro Line TEBA:1811/ April 14, 2017.

Contracts were also signed with Makyol İnşaat+Astur İnşaat+IC İçtaş İnşaat+ Kalyon İnşaat Joint Venture for Kirazlı-Halkalı Metro Line Construction & Electromechanical Works tendered by European Side Rail Systems Directorate, and with Özgün Yapı+Söğüt İnşaat+Şenbay Madencilik Joint Venture in the tender for Başakşehir-Kayaşehir Metro Line Construction & Electromechanical Works TEBA:1811/ April 14, 2017.

Üsküdar-Ümraniye-Çekmeköy Metro Project

Kadir Topbaş stating that there are 180 km of metro lines under construction, said that delays occurred due to unforeseen technical reasons in Üsküdar-Ümraniye-Çekmeköy line for which foundation was laid in 2012 and planned to be completed in 38 months but which still could not be put into service. Topbaş stating that they have decided on a driverless operation for a safer line and that this technology will be implemented for the first time in Turkey, said “Test drives are underway since 3 months. There have been delays in Üsküdar-Ümraniye-Çekmeköy line. It is such a mechanism that nobody will be employed on the line where 850 persons should be working. You have to make good measurements to avoid drawbacks in the future and to constitute safety margins. You do not have the chance to stop once you have started. We will commission the line and present to the service of our citizens in Istanbul when the line is completed and when safety margins have been determined.”

As will be recalled, we reported that test drives were started on Üsküdar-Ümraniye-Çekmeköy Metro Line undertaken by Doğuş İnşaat ve Ticaret A.Ş. which will be the first driverless metro line and that the line was expected to be put into service on August 30. The 20 km metro line which will play an important role in transportation on the Anatolian Side will consist of 16 stations, a depot area and 2,750 meters of tunnels connecting to the depot area TEBA:1811/ April 11, 2017.

İBB, Sefaköy-Halkalı-Başakşehir Air-Rail Line Project

Topbaş stating that they will open 9 stations between Üsküdar and Yamanevler in May within the scope of Üsküdar-Çekmeköy Metro Line, spoke as follows: “We have tendered both of the lines which constitute the extensions of the line in question. Namely, the 6.9 km Hastane (Hospital)-Sarıgazi-Taşdelen-Yenidoğan Metro Line and the 10.9 km Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli Metro Line. The line will be extended to Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Also, foundations will be laid for Sefaköy-Halkalı-Başakşehir Air-Rail Line and Kayaşehir Metro Line. We are constructing a metro line from Ümraniye to Göztepe. One of the metro projects to which we attribute importance is the line extending to Kadıköy from İncirli and Göztepe. The Air-Rail Line is a distinctive transport project for Istanbul. We have an 87 km Air-Rail project. The proportion of rail systems will reach 28 percent at the end of 2019. This is an outstanding figure and we are surpassing London and Paris by this means. There is another metro line starting from Gayrettepe undertaken by the Ministry of Transportation giving access to the city center from the 3^rd Airport. We also have an additional metro line which will start from Vezneciler extending to Arnavutköy and then to the 3^rd Airport.”

Doğuş İnşaat that ranked the second in the tender made an objection to İBB regarding the tender result in which Alsim Alarko won the contract TEBA:1810/ April 7, 2017.

Haliç (Golden Horn)-Unkapanı Highway Immersed Tube Tunnel Project

Kadir Topbaş also made the following statement: “We will connect the historical peninsula to Beyoğlu by means of Haliç Underwater Highway Tunnel. It will be constructed 8.5 meters below the sea level. The bridge with 6 lanes will have a length of 900 meters. There will be new recreational areas and greenery in the environs of Haliç. Perşembe Pazarı area will be re-arranged. Atatürk Bridge (Unkapanı) will be closed and removed. Our target is to reach a capacity of 1 million vehicles by means of 8,316 parking lots. We have planned 24 transfer points and 6 new parking lots. İstinye-Çubuklu Ferry Line has been commissioned and the travel time is now only 8 minutes. An organized berthing was necessary for sea vehicles in the Bosphorus and the coastal line. For this means, the berthing project has been put into life at İstinye and Tarabya. There are also new plans for cruiser ports.”

As will be recalled, the second and final bids were accepted on March 22, 2017 in the turnkey construction works tender for Haliç-Unkapanı Highway Tube Tunnel Project tendered by İBB with the bargaining method and with registration number 2016/210419, and Yapı Merkezi-STFA-ASL İnşaat Group made the lowest offer of TL 2,098,942,455 in the tender with an estimated cost of TL 2,039,592,961.59 TEBA:1808/ March 22, 2017.