The goal of the largest infrastructure project is to increase the role of Turkey in international trade.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan today, on June 26, launched the construction of the Istanbul Canal, which will connect the Marmara and Black Seas and unload the Bosphorus Strait. This is reported by Anadolu.
The construction of the Istanbul Canal is planned to be completed within 6 years. The cost of the project is estimated at about $15 billion.
Erdogan noted that the current route of the Istanbul canal is the most optimal and was chosen from five alternatives for the future waterway.
The canal will connect the Black and Marmara Seas, bypassing the Bosphorus Strait, increasing the role of Turkey in international trade.
The channel will be 45 km long, the depth will be an average of 20.75 m, the width-275 m. New cities are planned to be built along the banks of the Istanbul Canal. Six bridges will be built across the new canal.
Earlier it was reported that the construction of the Istanbul Canal will begin at the end of June.