The third bridge that is planned to be built over İstanbul’s Bosporus Strait, in an effort to ease the traffic which is making life in the city increasingly difficult, has already caused heated debate, even though it is currently only a project. Still, work on new highways and linking roads are proceeding at full speed. More than 2 million trees are estimated to be cut down during the construction. But what causes more concern than the loss of trees or the environmental problems caused by logging is that İstanbul’s forested areas, which are described as the city’s lungs, will be opened to housing.
People expressing this worry say that an additional 300,000 people moved to the Ümraniye and Gaziosmanpaşa districts after the Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) Bridge was built in Ümraniye and the TEM highway was constructed in Gaziosmanpaşa. On the other hand, it is a fact that if the FSM Bridge had not been built, traffic in İstanbul would be much more chaotic than it is today.
Academics discussing whether the third bridge will be a solution to the traffic problem or not mainly argue that more investment should be made in the mass transportation system. Time will tell whether the third bridge and highway construction will lead to environmental disasters, or İstanbul’s rare untouched forests being opened to housing. Soil surveys are currently being made in the Poyrazköy district and the village of Garipçe, where the piers of the bridge will be built. While some existing roads are being expanded for construction, in other places new roads are being made.
(Today’s Zaman)
