Shocking Engineering Report on the Third Bridge

Shocking Engineering Report on the Third Bridge
By: Serkan Ocak
Radikal Volume 17, Number 6140, 17 August 2013, pages 4-5


The expert committee report used by TEMA in its legal case against the Third Bridge has been released two month after the bridge’s foundation has been laid. The report states that “if development is not allowed in the area around the bridge, then there will not be exaggerated environmental damage. If the bridge is not constructed it may lead to more pollution.”


There are currently about 30 legal cases pending against the Third Bridge. Among these, TEMA is the complainant in two. For one of TEMA’s cases an expert committee report was issued. According to the report “if development is not allowed in the area around the bridge, then there will not be exaggerated environmental damage... If the bridge is not constructed it may lead to more pollution… If the bridge is not constructed it may lead to more traffic in existing neighbourhoods and cause more pollution.”


Of the seven experts who authored the report, six of them supported the Third Bridge. One member of the committee of experts did not support the Third Bridge because of the risk presented by uncontrolled development in the study area. Surprisingly the committee’s report supports the position of the defendants, the Istanbul Municipality & the Highway Authority.


Foundation in May, Report in July


In 2011 the TEMA foundation sued to stop the proposed 1/25000 Istanbul Province North Marmara Autobahn Regulatory Plan from going into effect. The seven member committee appointed to study the issue conducted their work in July 2012. The foundations for the bridge were constructed on May 29th , yet the expert committee report was completed and submitted to the court in July. A number of disputed issues were contained in the report, including the following.


• The area effected by the Northern Marmara Autobahn (KMO) are categorized as being heath land, prairie land, arid land, wetlands, agricultural land, perennial forest & populated area.
• The disturbed land will consist of: 31% wooded area, 28% agricultural land, 19% prairieland, 6% occupied area, 6% perennially wooded land and 2% arid land.
• That 40% of the area affected by the project is forested land; 2600 hectares of the 6500 hectares disturbed.
• That 1.1% of the forested area of Istanbul is affected by the project. This is area that includes in the Belgrade Forest.
• In it’s conclusion the report stated that “The idea that the various viaducts & tunnels of the KMO will damage the environment or pollute the riparian areas is exaggerated, that is, as long as the project is not constructed in methods similar to those as used for the D100 and TEM.” “The increase in traffic on the already congested existing transportation network, if the project is not completed, will lead to a higher ratio of pollutants being released into currently populated areas, thus leading to further environmental & health problems in these existing residential areas.”


We Have Destructed the Environment, but We are Developing


In emphasizing the government’s 2023 goals the report stated that “While destructive to the natural environment, the industrial operations in Tuzla & Gebze are means of growing the country’s economy and increasing industrial competition and its continuing vitality.”


Technical report members: Yıldız Technical University City and Regional Planning Department Professor Dr. Hüseyin Cengiz voted ‘no’ to the project; Istanbul University Forestry Faculty Provost Dr. Ahmet Yeşil, Yıldız Technical University Architecture Faculty, City and Regional Planning Department Docent Dr. Darçın Akın, Uludağ University Agricultural Economics Department professor Docent Dr. Serkan Gürlük, Yıldız Technical University Construction Faculty Docent Dr. Mustafa Gürsoy, Gebze Technology Institute City and Regional Planning Department Docent Dr. Mehmet Küçükmehmetoğlu and from that institute’s Environmental Engineering Department Docent Dr. Salim Öncel signed off on the report’s approval of the project. We attempted to reach the committee member Professor Dr. Ahmet Yeşil unsuccessfully.


End article


TEMA - Türkiye Erozyonla Mücadele, Ağaçlandırma ve Doğal Varlıkları Koruma Vakfı / The Turkish Foundation For Combating Erosion, Reforestation And The Protection Of Natural Habitats


KMO – Kuzey Marmara Otoyolu / Northern Marmara Autobahn


D100 – A national highway of Turkey that runs from the Bulgarian to Iranian borders, approximately 1,800 km in length. Part of the European E-80 road from Portugal to the Iranian border.


TEM – Trans-European Motorway. Also a reference to the European E-80 that runs from Portugal to Iran, through Turkey.