İSTANBUL, (DHA) İSTANBUL Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) declared that Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Eurasia Tunnel relieved heavy traffic congestion in Istanbul.

İBB Press Office's statement indicated that the traffic index survey conducted by the municipality determined the effect of Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Eurasia Tunnel on intercontinental bridge passage traffic congestion.  İBB Transport Department’s engineers developed the “traffic congestion index” model and conducted a survey to examine  the effect of Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Eurasia Tunnel on intercontinental bridge passage traffic congestion.   With the inauguration of Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge (YSS), traffic congestion in Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) is relieved by 80 percent and with the inauguration of Eurasia Tunnel, trafffic congestion in 15 July Martyrs Bridge is relieved by 30 percent. Travel time reduced by 40 percent thanks to YSS
Within the scope of the survey, travel times before and after the inauguration of YSS Bridge between January – October 2016 were investigated. It was observed that travel time was reduced by 42 percent from Europe to Asia and 28 percent from Asia to Europe via FSM Bridge. Eurasia Tunnel increased speed by 20 percent

The survey also investigated average speed between October-December 2016 before inauguration of Eurasia Tunnel. It was observed that Eurasia Tunnel and the revized coastal road relieved the traffic congestion significantly on D100 and TEM motorways as well as bridge passages.  Following inauguration of Eurasia Tunnel; average speed increased by 30 percent  (in the evening, at peak hours) and travel time reduced by 23 percent from Asia to Europe; and average speed increased by 17 percent and travel time reduced by 13 percent from Europe to Asia via 15 July Martyrs Bridge.