THE MARMARAY PROJECT
Istanbul transportation system has become a source of humor for Turkish people. The 2010 European Capital of Culture has failed to solve the transportation problem for decades. Especially, the tube map of Istanbul is often used by cartoonists and comedians. For a city with a population of around 15 million, the following figures can be accepted as humiliating;
 |
| Paris Tube Map London Tube Map Istanbul Tube Map |
Finally, the solution, which is called the project of the century, was announced by the government in 2004: connecting Asian and European continents with a rail-tunnel through the Bosphorus Strait. Actually, the idea of a railway tunnel under the Bosphorus Strait was first raised in 1860 by Ottoman Empire Sultan Abdul Mecit.[1] After him, such ideas had been developed for decades and finally the project was approved in 2004.
 |
| Marmaray Tunnel Project [3] |
The tunnel is special in many ways. It will be the deepest such tunnel in the world. It will be under 55 meters of water and 5 meters of earth. Its nearest opponent, BART in San Francisco, has 40.5m water depth while this tunnel will have almost 60 meters. Structures of the tunnel have to be waterproof and an additional chemical protection should be applied in order to prevent leakages.
The Marmaray Project is more than just building a railway tunnel. The project provides a new, high-capacity railway system, connecting Halkali on the European side and with Gebze on the Asian side.[1] The $2.6 billion system will be 76 km long and it is called as a radical solution by the experts. Zeynep Buket, an engineer working with Turkey’s transportation system argues that the population of Istanbul is increasing every year and the city is in need of a radical mass transit system like this one.[4] However there are several objections to the project from various stakeholders.
 |
| The Marmaray Project [5] |
OBJECTIONS
 |
| Ship Wreck [5] |
First, during the construction of a main station of new railway system in Yenikapi, archaeologists discovered the lost Byzantine port of Theodosius, which was built in 3rd century A.C. “This was a big moment of joy and happiness for us, an unexplainable feeling,” recalls Professor Zeynep Kiziltan, the director of Istanbul's Archaeology Museum. “At around one meter below sea level, we started finding the remains of ropes. As we continued a bit more, the remains of a boat surfaced.”
Since the discovery, hundreds of archaeologists, workers and volunteers have been working. 34 Byzantine ships ranging from dating between the 7th and 11th centuries were discovered so far.[4] In addition, new discoveries include the first examples of scientific shipbuilding.
“The earlier methods of building depended on verbal transference of the method from master shipbuilders to apprentices,” says Cemal Pulak, an anthropologist from Texas A&M University's nautical archaeology program. “The development of the latter method ... allowed for the speedy communication of new shipbuilding ideas that could be transmitted on paper. It is the beginning of engineering. Ships could be preconceived and pre-designed.”
 |
| Unearthed Graves at the Site [6] |
In addition to the Byzantine port findings, the archaeologists also have discovered a grave that proves the city is 6,000 years older than they previously thought. “The first man, about 8,400 years ago, came and started to settle here,” says geologist Yucel Yilmaz. “There was no Bosphorus then. The Bosphorus was a river valley... the people who settled here walked across the Bosphorus.”
On the other hand, Marmaray Project Manager Haluk Ozmen worries that they won’t make it on time because of the discoveries.[3] However Archaeologist Metin Gokcay is rejecting all talk of deadlines. “The Marmaray team cannot spread their cement or tunnel any deeper here until we finish,” states Mr. Gokcay. “They have to wait for us. And I will continue my work here until the last artifact made by human hands is found. It's impossible to accept anything else.”[3]
The project was expected to complete in 2010 however the official date for the opening of the system was postponed to October 2013 because of the presence of unearthed artifacts.[7] Moreover, Turkish-French consortium Alstom-Doğuş-Marubeni undertook the laying of the railway line but then cancelled the contract on April 29, citing rising costs. Transportation Minister of Turkey Binali Yıldırım announced that “there won’t be a change in the deadline for this project, which is Oct. 29, 2013, and all the remaining work will be completed by this date and a new tender will be held.” However, experts indicate that delay is unavoidable.
 |
| Archaeological Site at Yenikapi [5] |
Furthermore, the project is also closely observed by UNESCO. UNESCO delegates visit the project regularly and advice on the impact of the Marmaray Project on the cultural heritage of Istanbul.[9] Istanbul was declared World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. However, following a series urban developments that have endangered Istanbul’s cultural heritage, UNESCO has threatened to de-list the city. UNESCO also criticizes the project because of its high budget. It is argued that the money should also be spent to protect cultural heritage instead of spending $2.6 billion to a railway project.
 |
| Fault Segmentation Model for the Marmara Region[11] |
Another problem of the project is the seismicity of the region. All this work is taking place just 19 km. from the North Anatolian Fault. The experts are expecting Istanbul region to experience an earthquake with magnitude up to 7.5 on the Richter scale during the lifetime of the Project. A number of M>7.0 earthquakes have occurred in the Marmara Region since 1500. Two in 1999 together killed 18,000 people.
 |
| Seismicity of the Marmara Region[11] |
Seismic experts from Japan, the US and Turkey have been assisting to build underground structures and a tunnel under the Bosphorus that will resist an earthquake of the maximum intensity that may be expected in the area. The designed tunnel is called as “earthquake-proof” by the engineers of the project. “If you are investing 3 billion dollars to a system such as the Marmaray, you cannot ignore even a one in a million chance of risk.” says Railways, Ports and Airports Construction General Manager Ahmet Arslan. “Marmaray Project is 100 percent secure system.”
On the other hand, the project is still criticized for its risks. “First, this region is covered with mud deposit and sand, which is water-saturated. In case of a moderate earthquake in Istanbul, these tubes may break from each other or may experience flooding,” argues Semih Tezcan, a civil engineer and a former rector of Bogazici University. “In other words, a moderate earthquake in Istanbul may cause the disaster of the millennium.”[13]
BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT
 |
| Traffic Jam in Istanbul |
Istanbul is a fast growing mega city leading an increased demand for better transportation network. Today, the city faces severe traffic jams in the morning and evening rush hours. The transportation demand is met by the increasing use of cars (around 2 million cars). When completed, the peak hour capacity of the Marmaray Project will be 75,000 passengers per direction.[1] The project is expected to ease traffic congestion of the city. “Marmaray will serve as the backbone of İstanbul’s transportation network.” DHL Regional Manager Haluk Ozmen explains. “Marmaray is very important not only to bring a lasting solution to İstanbul’s intercity transportation problems, but also to protect the city’s historic and natural wealth and to improve Turkey’s railroad systems”[14]
Moreover, the project has positive impacts on environment quality of the city. It is estimated that air pollution will be reduced as a consequence of the project. Air pollution gasses such as NMHC, CO and NOx will be reduced by an average of approximately 29,000 tons annually by 2027. In addition, the reduction of green houses gasses (mainly CO2) will be an average of approximately 115,000 tons/year over the first 25 years of operation. The project will also reduce other negative environmental problems such as noise and dust.
 |
| Marmara Project Station Design[1] |
Besides, the project provides a huge public transportation system to Istanbul. It increases capacity, reliability, accessibility, punctuality, comfort and safety of the transportation services while it reduces travel time. It provides more sustainable and long-term solution to the current transportation problems. On the other hand, public transport promotes equity, standardization and harmonization.[15] Also, imported petroleum products are mostly used for land transportation, therefore the integration of efficient and high capacity railroad transportation using electric power that is not dependent on foreign resources will be beneficial. In addition, public transport costs the society less than cars, requires less road space and energy.
OVERALL COMMENTS
The Marmaray Project is a complicated transportation project in a developing country, Turkey. Istanbul was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site and also it is the 2010 European Capital of Culture. The city should find a way to develop its transportation system while protecting its natural environment and historical heritage. Also, the seismic condition of the region should be considered. The government should not force the company to finish the project on time without achieving the minimum performance requirements of the project. Most importantly, the city should find out its historical heritage. As Prof Mehmet Ozdogan states, “Once the past is destroyed, it's irreversible.”
REFERENCES
[1] The Marmaray Project Official Site. http://www.marmaray.com/
[2] Ingerslev et al. (2005). Marmaray project: requirements for the design and construction of the Bosphorus tunnel. Retrieved from http://www.ctta.org/FileUpload/ita/2005/pdf/EM-13.2.pdf
[3] Treasure dig threatens Bosphorus rail link. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4949862.stm
[4] Tunnel links continents, uncovers ancient history. CNN News. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/21/turkey.bosphorus.tunnel.marmaray/
[5] Buket et al. (2009). THE MARMARAY PROJECT: TAKING GOOD CARE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF ISTANBUL. Retrieved from http://www.ctta.org/FileUpload/ita/2009/papers/P-10/P-10-03.pdf
[6] Istanbul's ancient past unearthed. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7820924.stm
[7] Yenikapı dig to postpone opening of Istanbul Marmaray, academic says. Hurriyet Daily News. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=yenikapi-excavation-project-postpones-the-opening-of-marmaray-2010-10-29
[8] French Alstom to be kept out of new Marmaray tender. Todays Zaman News. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-224697-french-alstom-to-be-kept-out-of-new-marmaray-tender.html
[9] UNESCO to inspect İstanbul’s historic sites. Todays Zaman News. http://www.todayszaman.com/news-139498-unesco-to-inspect-istanbuls-historic-sites.html
[10] Istanbul's World Heritage status under threat. Euro News. http://www.euronews.net/2010/09/23/istanbul-s-world-heritage-status-under-threat/
[11] Belkaya et al. (2008). The Marmaray Project: Managing a Large Scale Project with Various Stake Holders. Retrieved from http://www.iaeng.org/publication/WCE2008/WCE2008_pp1268-1272.pdf
[12] Marmaray's disaster scenario (Iste Marmaray'in felaket senaryosu). Hurriyet News. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/13417475.asp
[13] Earthquake critique to Marmaray (Marmaray’a deprem eleştirisi). Ntvmsnbc News. http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/272279.asp
[14] Marmaray to be connected to both İstanbul airports. Todays Zaman News. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-199687-101-marmaray-to-be-connected-to-both-istanbul-airports.html
[15] Zeybek et al. (2008). ROLE OF MEGA PROJECTS IN SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF ISTANBUL MARMARAY PROJECT. Retrieved from http://www.codatu.org/english/conferences/codatu13/CodatuXIII-CDrom/codCD-Zeybek.pdf
Hey Emrah. I read your blog. Thanks for posting it. Heather
ReplyDelete