İyidere - İkizdere Road Hurmalık Tunnels and Connecting Roads
The section of the road connecting Rize to Erzurum, which is a single-lane standard route, extends from the Iyidere location on the Black Sea Coastal Road to the exit of the Ikizdere district. It is 37.9 kilometers long and designed to have a 2x2 lane, with a hot mix asphalt surface and divided road standard.
The Ovit Tunnel, which is the longest tunnel open to traffic in our country, built in the Ovit Mountain pass, and the divided road, bridge, tunnel, and viaduct works on the route have aimed to provide faster, more economical, and more comfortable transportation in the north-south axis extending from the Black Sea coast to the interior and southeast with an improved transportation standard.
As part of the project, the 850 m-long double-tube Hurmalık-1 Tunnel, the 720 m-long Hurmalık-2 Tunnel, and the 3.6 km-long section consisting of the Hurmalık-1 Entrance-Exit Bridges and connecting roads were opened to traffic on September 3, 2021, and a total of 30.8 km of the road was upgraded to a divided road standard, in addition to the 27.2 km section that had been previously completed.
The project has minimized the impact of harsh winter conditions on transportation in the region, thus increasing transportation activity for trade and tourism. It has also ensured the safe flow of traffic and the safety of lives and property.
With the opening of the Hurmalık Tunnels and connecting roads, the existing road has been shortened by 1 km.
