Frequently Asked Questions

Just like the other information, communication information can also be updated at the membership account. Communication preferences are taken as the GSM Number. and email address first entered. Users may remove one of these preferences and reduce their communication channel to only one.

Accuracy of and liability for the information entered during subscription belongs to the member. Entering the frequently used email address and GSM number is crucial to follow the illegal pass notices on a timely and regular basis. Only one membership can be assigned to each email address and Republic of Turkey Identity Number/Tax Identity Number. A user is not allowed to create different memberships by using the same email address or Republic of Turkey Identity Number/Tax Identity Number.

Adding a license plate number is done at the "subscription step". Subsequently adding/removing a license plate can be done at "my account".

In corporate memberships, license plate numbers can be added after the subscription is completed. A license plate can be added and removed singly or in block by using an excel format file (with .xlsx extension).

Membership is a service provided by ATAŞ to the users of the tunnel for communicating their illegal passes. Subscribed users can get information about their illegal passes via mail and/or SMS. This way they would have the necessary information and make their payments without getting fined. A subscribed user can also follow the debts related to the illegal passes of all license plates registered under their subscription.

All membership information with the exception of the Republic of Turkey Identity Number/Tax Identity Number can be changed subsequently after signing-in the membership account. Membership account can be suspended to stop receiving any further emails from the system or revoked to delete all existing information.

There are two types of membership: individual and corporate.

Individual users may subscribe by using the general identity information, Republic of Turkey identity number, an email address and their valid GSM number. After the membership information is filled and membership agreement is accepted, users can activate their membership by entering the activation code that will be sent to their GSM number at the activation page.

Corporate users need to enter their general company information, tax identity number and company email addresses to subscribe. After the membership information is filled and membership agreement is accepted, corporate users can activate their membership by clicking the activation link that will be sent to their mail addresses.

Maximum five plates can be connected to an individual account, and 100,000 plates to a corporate account.

Corporate companies can create automatic payment orders for as many license plates as they want through the website, view and follow their orders on the website and mobile application. They can remove license plates from the current orders without canceling any order by deleting the license plates they want to remove from the registered license plates page. Click here for the corporate automatic payment order guideline.

Individual users can give automatic payment orders to their maximum 5 plates both on the website and on the mobile application.

The Eurasia Tunnel connects Kennedy Street on the European side with the D-100 Highway on the Asian side. By using the Tunnel, one can easily reach the Fatih district, historical peninsula and Atatürk Airport on the European side, and Kadıköy, Üsküdar and Göztepe districts via the D-100 Highway on the Asian side.

In 2003, a pre-feasibility study was conducted for the Bosphorus crossing based on the findings of the Transportation Master Plan Survey prepared by Istanbul University in the name of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1997. Accordingly, it was determined that a road tunnel be constructed under the Bosphorus based on the conclusion that a new bridge on the Bosphorus would lead to significant environmental problems as well as additional planning and design challenges. In 2005, a feasibility study was conducted to examine existing route options for the Tunnel. Based on this feasibility study, the present route was adopted, due in large part to the following reasons

• Equal distribution provided by the location of the Tunnel in connection with the existing two bridges on the Bosphorus;   
• The lowest investment cost due to the shortness of the Tunnel;
• Availability of sufficient area for the establishment of the construction sites and operational facilities (toll plazas, operations buildings).

Eurasia Tunnel can be accessed from Kazlıçeşme, Kocamustafapaşa, Yenikapı and Kumkapı on the European side and Acıbadem, Uzunçayır and Göztepe on the Asian side.

Entry and exit points for the Tunnel are located in Koşuyolu on the Asian side and Kumkapı on the European side.

Pass violation fines can be paid via banks, Eurasia Tunnel’s website or mobile site and here. Payments can also be made via credit card.

You can check your pass status on the Eurasia Tunnel website or mobile site and also by clicking here .

The toll can be paid without the need to stop by using the Express Toll Collection System (HGS) with the help of the state-of-the-art technology free flow portal. There are no cash payment plazas in the Tunnel.

You can check your account status easily via our website www.avrasyatuneli.com and safely pay any outstanding fees, if any, using your credit/debit card. Outstanding fees can be paid without a late fee if paid within 15 calendar days; after 15 days, the outstanding amount plus incurred fines are due.

Within the scope of the regulation made in the Law No. 6001 published in the Official Gazette dated 5 July 2022, in case of toll violations from toll bridges, tunnels and highways; payments made within the first 15 days will be processed without penalty as before. For payments made between 15 days and 45 days, a penalty equal to one toll fee will be applied, and for payments after 45 days, a penalty of 4 times of toll will be applied. We present it to the information of our users.

Yes, vehicles will be able to travel through the Tunnel by making payments via HGS system. There are no cash payment plazas.

• Toll payments for the Eurasia Tunnel pass can be made via the free flow portal by using HGS.
• Since there are no cash payment plazas at the Eurasia Tunnel, drivers are required to obtain their HGS cards from PTT branches, sale points at the entry/exit of state highways or from contracted banks.
• Please make sure that you have a sufficient balance on your HGS account to cover your toll at all times.
• Any pass from the Eurasia Tunnel without the required balance on your HGS card will be deemed a “Pass Violation” just as on toll highways and bridges.
• In the case of a pass violation, you can easily query your status on our website www.avrasyatuneli.com.
• You can safely pay any outstanding amounts via credit card without a fine within 15 calendar days.
• However, the law stipulates that if the balance of your account fails to cover fees or you do not pay the outstanding amount within 15 calendar days, a fine in the amount of 4 times more of the original toll will be imposed on your pass violation.

Traffic is managed via the Smart Transportation System mounted inside the Tunnel and on the approach roads, the SCADA System, which ensures the control of the equipment inside the Tunnel, expert operators and patrol teams. Traffic is managed using instruments at the Toll Plaza barriers to ensure a smooth flow of traffic by assessing information received about average speed and load sensors.

Specialized police patrol teams are sent to incidents, which are instantly monitored by operators in the Tunnel Control Room and the SCADA system, ensuring that the accident is responded to in the shortest possible time.

First response vehicles that have been specially designed for the Eurasia Tunnel have been duly equipped to make the first intervention in any accident

It is possible to respond to fires using fire trucks that are specially designed for the Eurasia Tunnel. In addition, fire extinguisher cabinets are situated every 65 meters inside the Tunnel and can be used to combat fires. The Istanbul Fire Department can reach the site of an incident in the shortest amount of time possible as per the protocol signed with them.

In case of a fire, Tunnel users shall leave their vehicles and move to the next deck using the nearest escape stairs. Jet fans at the other side from where the fire broke out will run in the opposite direction to circulate fresh air from outside and prevent recirculation of smoke between the two levels. The fans at the level where the fire broke out will be run full circle and the smoke will be pushed out of the ventilation shafts and not recirculated inside the Tunnel.

The impact to be generated by an earthquake with Mw 7.25 magnitude on the Eurasia Tunnel, which is an average of 17 km distance from the Main Marmara Fault, will be an average magnitude of Mw 8 according to EMS’98 and MMI scale. However, the earthquake design of the Eurasia Tunnel will ensure that the Tunnel will suffer no damage in the event of an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw 9.

Due to the fact that there was a release of stress on the tectonic plates caused by the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake, and there has been no earthquake stronger than Mw 7 magnitude on the Main Marmara Fault Line since 1894, the possibility of an earthquake with a magnitude of over Mw 7.25 has been calculated to be 2 or 3 percent per annum. Therefore, the Eurasia Tunnel has been constructed so it will suffer no damage, even in an earthquake of 9 Mw magnitude.

Tow trucks that are specially-manufactured according to the structure of the Tunnel are used to evacuate disabled vehicles from the Tunnel.

Emergency Response Plan and Operational Security Protocol were prepared in cooperation with the Emergency Services (Police, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Ambulance Services, Fire Department, Disasters and Emergency Management Directorate). More information on this can be found on the Operational Security video on the website and in security brochures.

Maximum allowed speed in the tunnel is 70 kilometers per hour. Drivers are reminded of the speed limit in the Tunnel by the vehicle monitoring system, radio announcement system and traffic signs. The speed inside the Tunnel will be managed by the Tunnel Speed Limit Control System (TEDES), established in coordination with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Security General Directorate, as in other existing tunnels in Turkey. Security General Directorate fines drivers exceeding the 70 km/h speed limit inside the Tunnel and on the approach roads.

Operators in the Operation Control Center monitor all systems on a 24/7 basis. Emergency teams stationed at the portal areas and patrolling the Tunnel respond immediately to any situation. Emergency services are always ready to enter the Tunnel.

• Automatic Accident – Incident Investigation and Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) System
• Smart Transportation System
• Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
• Tunnel Fire Extinguishing System
• Tunnel Drainage System
• Service and Emergency Telephones
• Access Control and Unauthorized Entry Determination Systems
• Radio Transmission and Speaker System
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
• Power Supply System (Including UPS and Generatorb)

The maximum speed limit inside the tunnel is 70 km/hour.

The speed inside the Tunnel is controlled by the Tunnel Speed Limit Control System (TEDES), established in coordination with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Security General Directorate, as in other existing tunnels in Turkey.

The Eurasia Tunnel has been designed for use by light vehicles. The vehicles higher than 2.80 meters, bicycle, scooter and pedestrians are prohibited to use the Tunnel.

Two-way GSM and internet communication is possible inside the Tunnel.

The Marmaray was designed solely for use by rail system while the Eurasia Tunnel Project was designed solely for use by light vehicles (cars, minibuses). The Marmaray was constructed by laying down tube tunnels at the bottom of the Bosporus. A two-level road tunnel was constructed under the seabed of the Bosphorus in Eurasia Tunnel Project.

The Eurasia Tunnel was designed to withstand the biggest possible earthquake that may take place on the North Anatolian Fault Line (which is estimated to be 7,2Mw ), and two additional special seismic joints were put in place in order to further strengthen the Tunnel. Additionally, 2 meter high walls were constructed on the European side to protect the Tunnel from a possible tsunami.

The Eurasia Tunnel is a tunnel that connects the Asian and European continents by road under the seabed and passes through the rock layer under the Marmara Sea floor. As the tunnel has no connection with water, the closest distance from the bottom to the sea is 25 meters. Therefore, the tunnel has no harm to marine life.

The environmentally friendly approach was not compromised during the construction process of the Eurasia Tunnel, which is an environmentally friendly project that takes care of ecological balances and does not harm marine life. The suitable parts of the excavation waste that emerged during the construction process of the tunnel were sent to the licensed recovery facilities for recycling, and the remaining part was disposed of in accordance with the laws and regulations in the licensed excavation waste storage areas operated by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. No waste was disposed in the sea in any way.

In many ways, the Eurasia Tunnel has benefits for the environment. It contributes to the reduction of fuel consumption and harmful gas emissions in the air by shortening driving distances. Reduced traffic jams, thanks to the Eurasia Tunnel, also helps reduce pollution by reducing congestion and long waiting periods in traffic. A comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report was prepared for the Eurasia Tunnel, and a highly sensitive approach was adopted concerning impacts on the environment. International finance organizations that sponsored the project monitor the ESIA process meticulously, with controls conducted on the implementation of the ESIA management during both construction and operation phases.

You can access the ESIA documents here.

The Eurasia Tunnel Project was developed as a synthesis of the most important tunnel projects in the world and the knowhow obtained in this sphere. All potential environmental and social impacts of the project have been defined under the comprehensive ESIA study conducted under the project. Impact-reducing measures were identified in order to minimize, eliminate or create positive impacts.

You can access the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) by clicking here. Additionally, the UNESCO World Heritage Center is periodically updated about the current state of the project, and its comments are taken into consideration.

Reports were prepared for air quality both inside and outside the Tunnel in accordance with international standards. Upon the assessment of these reports, all of the parties that have both prepared and supervised the project concluded that the mechanical ventilation system with 2 extraction vents was appropriate and sufficient for the Eurasia Tunnel.

Exhaust emissions is conducted to the shafts by a total of 92 jet fans – 46 jet fans on each level – and is absorbed by 4 axial fans, one of which is spare. The ventilation shaft on the Asian side was designed 25 meters above the ground – 28 meters in total – to avoid any impact on high buildings nearby such as Siyami Ersek Hospital. The shaft on the European side was designed 5 meters above the ground – 20 meters in total – to avoid any impact on the silhouette of the city in accordance with the decisions of Istanbul Board No 4 for Cultural and Natural Heritage Preservation, and all the ventilation system was prepared accordingly. Two air quality monitoring stations were established by the Designated Company (Avrasya Tüneli İşletme İnşaat ve Yatırım A.Ş.) near the ventilation shafts on each side In order to monitor outside air quality. The data obtained from these stations is shared with the public through the National Air Quality Monitoring Network.

In coordination with the Ministry of Transportation, Maritime and Communication, the Designated Company has dedicated an area for building an air treatment plant in each of the two ventilation buildings inside the Tunnel against the possibility of breaching air quality standards due to unexpected climate change, and will implement this step as needed.

Additional information and technical reports may be obtained from the Ministry of Transportation, Maritime and Communication.

Egis Road Operation enjoys a unique accumulation of knowledge in developing and managing complex infrastructural projects around the world. After working as a public-private partnership as developer, investor and system integrator for many years; Egis Road Operation is currently a leading global company in infrastructural operation works. In 2014, Egis Road Operation signed contracts for the operation of 35 tunnel projects in 16 countries including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Ireland, Hungary, Greece, the Philippines, Canada and Australia. In addition to a total of 44 kilometers of projects currently operated by Egis Road Operation, the Company's specialization also includes 60 kilometers of tunnel projects to be launched in the future.

Avrasya Tüneli İşletme İnşaat ve Yatırım A.Ş.(ATAŞ) was established by an equal partnership of Turkey’s Yapı Merkezi company and South Korea’s SK E&C company. Yapı Merkezi is among the leading construction companies in Turkey and the world. The Group is mainly involved with contracting of general construction work as well as public transportation system projects such as city subways and light rail systems. Having vast experience in the construction of tunnels, bridges and rail systems throughout the world, Yapı Merkezi has completed the construction of 1550 kilometers of railway in a total of 37 systems, providing safe transportation to more than 1 million people per day in a number of countries on three continents. Many of the projects are in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco and Sudan. Yapı Merkezi was listed in Engineering News Record’s (ENR) annual list of top 225 global contractors in 135th place in 2005, 124th place in 2007, 129th place in 2009, 155th place in 2010 and 143rd place in 2011.

SK E&C is the construction and engineering line of SK Group, which is the third biggest business group in Korea and was ranked 65th in the 2012 Fortune Global 500 list of the top companies of the world. SK E&C was also in 45th place in ENR’s Engineering News Record) “Top 225 Contractors” list in 2012.