The foundation of the Kop Tunnel, which will connect Bayburt to Erzurum, was laid in 2012. According to the news newspaper, the reason why the construction of the tunnel has not been completed for 13 years 'contractor firm Bayburt Group Construction and the lack of investments in the project'.

According to the article, the fact that the tunnel cannot be finished not only extends the journey of the citizen, but also great damage and the environment.

This is a problemattic tunnel construction project. On September 24, 2020, one worker lost their lives in the explosion in the construction of the Trabzon-Ashkale Road (Kop Mountain Tunnel Transition), while 10 workers were seriously burned and injured. The report of the state institution Sayıştay (Court of Accounts) revealed that the state institutions did not put its best to protect the interests of the workers' lives but interests of the contractor (Şenbay Madencilik and Özgün İnşaat - Bayburt Group with very close links to Erdoğan government).

https://www.karar.com/guncel-haberler/13-yildir-tamamlanamadi-vatandaslar-magdur-oldu-hem-doga-kirleniyor-hem-1947401