In line with the decision of the Kamu İhale Kurumu ("Public Procurement Authority" - KİK), İzmir Büyükkent Yerel Yönetimi (İBYY - İzmir Metropolitan Municipality) signed an agreement with Özkar İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi and started the construction process of the Buca - Bornova highway tunnel.

This is the second tender process for the Buca - Bornova tunnel. HGG İnşaat AŞ had won the first tender with approximately 110 million TL. However, after excavating only 250 meters of the tunnel and HGG has abandoned the work. Then the second tender was made in August 2021, and Deha Infrastructure A.Ş. - Feza Contracting Inc. joint venture won the tender with a price of 540 million TL.  However, Özkar İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., which had offered the second lowest price, filed objection at the KİK, arguing that the price offered by the partnership was not realistic. This objection process resulted in an 8-month delay in tunnel construction. As a result, İBYY made an agreement with Özkar who has won the objection process at KİK.

The road construction, which is 7.1 km in total, consists of a 2.5-kilometer two-tube highway tunnel.

İzmir Büyükkent Local Government made the following statement:

Construction of Izmir's longest tunnel begins

The tender opened by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for the completion of the Buca Tunnel and other stages of the giant project, which will provide a connection between Buca and Izmir Intercity Bus Terminal without entering the city traffic, resulted in an 8-month delay due to the objection made to the Kamu İhale Kurumu (Public Procurement Authority - KİK). Upon the decision of the KİK, a contract was signed with Özkar İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi, which offered the second lowest bid. The Buca Tunnel, which will cost 559 million liras, and the following stages will be completed in 3 years.

The tender process initiated by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality to complete the "Buca Tunnel", one of the important pillars of the project that will provide uninterrupted transportation between Buca and Bornova, has been completed. The Metropolitan Municipality, which went out to tender in August 2021 to finish the tunnel construction, which was left unfinished due to the contractor's withdrawal, signed a contract with Özkar İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi, which won the tender after the objections to the KİK were concluded. The company will undertake the tunnel construction, 2 underpasses, 4 culverts, 4 intersections, 1 overpass and walls in the third and fourth stages of the project, with a cost of 559 million liras. The construction, which will start after the site delivery, will be completed in 3 years.

KİK awarded to the second, not the lowest bid
The construction works in the tunnel, of which approximately 250 meters were completed, stopped in August 2019, after the contractor company, which received the tunnel tender, applied for the liquidation of the work based on the temporary fourth article of the Law No. 4735, titled "Liquidation and Transfer of Contracts". For the continuation of the project, 25 companies participated in the tender organized by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality on August 19, 2021. Deha Infrastructure Inc.-Feza Contracting Inc. The most advantageous offer of 540 million 567 thousand liras given by the partnership was delivered to the bidders. Özkar Construction Industry and Trade Inc. took the second place with its offer of 559 million TL. The objections of both Özkar İnşaat and other companies participating in the tender to the KİK were evaluated. As a result of the evaluation that lasted for 8 months, KİK decided to award the tender to ÖZKAR İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., which made a high bid of 18 million 433 thousand liras.

Over 1 billion TL investment
The tunnel will facilitate transportation from Konak to the intercity bus terminal with the viaducts to be put into service in the coming months. The total length of the project, which will give a breath of fresh air to urban traffic, will reach 7.1 kilometers. When the tunnel is completed, it will have the title of the longest road tunnel in İzmir. Bayraklı 1 Tunnel, which is still used by the people of İzmir, is 320 meters long, Konak Tunnel is 674 meters, Bayraklı 2 Tunnel is 865 meters long. Together with the viaduct construction, connection roads, tunnel construction and other stages, the investment amount will be over 1 billion liras.

Its length is 2.5 kilometers
İzmir's longest tunnel will be constructed within the scope of the second phase of the “Connection Road Project between Buca-Onat Street and the Intercity Bus Terminal and the Ring Road Project”. The length of the double tube tunnel will be 2.5 kilometers and it will serve as a total of four lanes, 2 departures and 2 arrivals. The tunnel will be 7.5 meters high and 10.6 meters wide. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality completed the construction of 2 viaducts, 2 underpasses and 1 overpass within the scope of the First Stage of the Connection Road Between Buca Onat Street and the Intercity Bus Terminal and the Ring Road. The connection roads will be opened for use in the coming months after lighting.

Construction begins after site delivery The tender for the tunnel construction and the constructions including the construction of two underpasses, 4 culverts, 4 intersections, 1 overpass and wall in the third and fourth stages of the project were held together. In the third phase of the project, which is 850 meters long, located between Homeros Boulevard and the tunnel, it is aimed to solve the traffic problems in the region by providing connection to Çaldıran, Hürriyet, Mehtap and Çamlık districts. In this context, 2 intersections, an underpass, r culverts and walls will be manufactured. The 4th Stage of the project covers the 1,773-meter, 750-meter part of the tunnel between the 1st stage, which is still under construction, and the tunnel. At this stage, 2 intersections, 1 overpass, an underpass, 3 culverts and walls will be manufactured.

The bus station will be reached without entering the city traffic
The 7.1-kilometer route is 35 meters wide and consists of a total of 6 lanes divided into 3 arrivals and 3 departures, and a 2.5-kilometer double tube tunnel. With the tunnel and viaduct project, Çamlık, Mehtap, İsmetpaşa, Ufuk, Ferahlı, Ulubatlı, Mehmet Akif, Saygı, Atamer, Çınartepe, Center, Zafer, Birlik, Koşukavak, Çamkule, Meriç, Yeşilova and Karacaoğlan neighborhoods are crossed and from Bornova Kemalpaşa Street to the Otogar 'Bus Station'. A link will be provided. Vehicles passing through the longest tunnel of İzmir via Homeros Boulevard and Onat Street will be able to reach the Bus Station and the ring road without getting into the heavy traffic of the city. When the giant investment is completed, urban traffic will be relieved, and Homeros Boulevard in Buca will be connected to İzmir Bus Terminal in Işıkkent without entering the city traffic.

https://www.izmir.bel.tr/tr/Haberler/izmir-in-en-uzun-tunelinin-yapimina-baslaniyor/46528/156