It is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge withsteel towers and inclined hangers.[1] Theaerodynamic deck hangs on steel cables. It is 1,560 m (5,118 ft)[1] long with a deck width of 33.40 m (110 ft).[1] The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m (3,524 ft)[1] and the total height of the towers is 165 m (541 ft).[1] The clearance of the bridge from sea level is 64 m (210 ft).[1]
After a group of soldiers took control and partially closed off the bridge during themilitary coup d'état attempt on 15 July 2016, Prime MinisterBinali Yıldırım proclaimed on 25 July 2016 the decision of the Cabinet of Turkey that the bridge will be formally renamed as the15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15th Martyrs Bridge) in memory of those killed while resisting the attempted coup.[6][7][8]
The Bosphorus Bridge is famous for its important transport routes, connecting parts of Europe to Turkey.
The idea of a bridge crossing the Bosphorus dates back toantiquity. TheGreek writerHerodotus says in hisHistories that, on the orders of EmperorDarius the Great of theAchaemenid Empire (522 BC–485 BC),Mandrocles ofSamos once engineered apontoon bridge across the Bosphorus, linking Asia to Europe; this bridge enabled Darius to pursue the fleeingScythians as well as position his army in theBalkans to overwhelmMacedon.[9] The first modern project for a permanent bridge across the Bosphorus was proposed to SultanAbdul Hamid II of theOttoman Empire by the Bosphorus Railroad Company in 1900, which included a rail link between the continents.[10]
The bridge was completed on 30 October 1973, one day after the 50th anniversary of the founding of theRepublic of Turkey, and opened by PresidentFahri Korutürk and Prime MinisterNaim Talu. The cost of the bridge was US$200 million ($1.42 billion in 2024 dollars[13]).
Upon the bridge's opening, it was often defined by the media as the first bridge between Asia and Europe since thepontoon bridge ofXerxes in 480 BC.That bridge, however, spanned theHellespont (Dardanelles) strait to the southwest of theBosphorus, across theSea of Marmara, and was in fact the second pontoon bridge between Asia and Europe after an earlier one built byDarius the Great across the Bosphorus strait in 513 BC.
The bridge highway is eight lanes wide. Three standard lanes, one emergency lane and one pedestrian lane serve each direction.[1] On weekday mornings, mostcommuter traffic flows westbound to Europe, so four of the six lanes run westbound and only two eastbound. Conversely, on weekday evenings, four lanes are dedicated to eastbound traffic and two lanes, to westbound traffic.
For the first three years,pedestrians could walk over the bridge, reaching it withelevators inside the towers on both sides. No pedestrians or commercial vehicles, such astrucks, are allowed to use the bridge today.
Today, around 180,000 vehicles pass daily in both directions, with almost 85% beingcars. On 29 December 1997, the one-billionthvehicle passed the bridge. Fully loaded, the bridge sags about 90 cm (35 in) in the middle of the span.
It is atoll bridge. Between 1973 and 2023 a toll was charged for passing from Europe to Asia, but not for passing in the reverse direction. Since January 1, 2023, a toll is charged for both directions.[14]
Between 1999 and 2006, some of the toll booths (#9 - #13), which were located to the far left as motorists approached them, were unmanned and equipped only with a remote payment system (Turkish:OGS). In addition to the OGS system, another toll pay system with special contactless smart cards (Turkish:KGS) was installed at specific toll booths in 2005. Toll payments in cash were stopped on 3 April 2006.
Between 2006 and 2012, toll booths accepted only OGS or KGS. An OGS device or KGS card could be obtained at various stations before reaching the toll plazas of highways and bridges. In 2006, the toll was 3.00 TL or about $2.00.
Since April 2007, a computerisedLED lighting system of changing colours and patterns, developed byPhilips, illuminates the bridge at night.
On 17 September 2012, the KGS system on the Bosphorus Bridge was replaced by the newHGS system (Turkish:Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi), which also replaced the OGS system a decade later, on 31 March 2022.[15] The HGS system requires a batteryless front window sticker with a passiveradio-frequency identification (RFID) chip, whereas the older OGS system required a small RFID device with a battery that was stuck to the front window.[15]
In 2017, the toll increased by nearly 50% from 4.75 to 7TRY.[16] After 21 months, in late 2019, the toll went up another 20% to 10.50 TRY.[17] Tolls need to be increased almost every year to keep up with highproducers' price inflation.[17]
Since April 2007, a computerizedLED lighting system, capable of changing colors and patterns, illuminates the bridge at night.
The bridge was depicted on thereverse of the Turkish 1000lira banknotes of 1978–1986.[18]
Since 1979, every October, the annualIntercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon crosses the bridge on its way from Asia to Europe. During the marathon, the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic.
On 15 May 2005 at 07:00 local time, U.S. tennis starVenus Williams played a show game with Turkish playerİpek Şenoğlu on the bridge, the first tennis match played on two continents.[19][20] The event promoted the upcoming 2005WTAİstanbul Cup and lasted five minutes.[19] After the exhibition, they both threw a tennis ball into the Bosphorus.[19][20]
On 17 July 2005 at 10:30 local time, BritishFormula One driverDavid Coulthard drove hisRed Bull racing car across the bridge from the European side to the Asian side, then, after turning with apowerslide at the toll plaza, back to the European side for show.[21][22] He parked his car in the garden ofDolmabahçe Palace where his ride had started.[21][23] While crossing the bridge with his Formula 1 car, Coulthard was picked up by the automatic surveillance system and charged with a fine of 20Euros because he passed through the toll booths without payment.[22] His team agreed to pay for him.[22]
On 5 November 2013,World No. 1 golferTiger Woods, visiting for the2013 Turkish Airlines Open golf tournament held between 7 and 10 November, was brought to the bridge by helicopter and made a couple of show shots on the bridge, hitting balls from the Asian side to the European side on one side of the bridge, which was closed to traffic for about one hour.[24][25]
On 15 July 2016, the bridge was blocked by a rogue faction of theTurkish Armed Forces during acoup attempt.[26] They arrested civilians and police officers. The soldiers involved surrendered to police and to civilians the next day.[26] On 25 July 2016,Binali Yıldırım, Turkey'slastprime minister before apresidential system was adopted with areferendum in 2017, announced that the bridge would be renamed as the15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (15 July Martyrs Bridge).[27] In honor of the victims who were martyred while resisting the coup attempt, a monument, museum and mosque were built on a roadside hill near the Asian (Anatolian) end of the bridge.[28]
Daytime view of the bridge
Aerial view of the bridge
The bridge on the reverse of the 1000 lira banknote (1978–1986)
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