The Bosphorus’s New Gem: Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge and the Northern Marmara Highway. May 29, 2013

Oct 01, 2026

On May 29, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., the cornerstone was laid for the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge and the Northern Marmara Highway in the Garipçe / Sarıyer area.

Opening remarks by our Board Chairman, Mr. İbrahim Çeçen:

“Welcome to the groundbreaking ceremony for the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge and the Northern Marmara Highway, a project we believe will add value to Istanbul—the apple of Turkey’s eye—and become a source of pride for our country.

The construction contract for the 3rd Bridge, which will be built under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, stipulates a construction period of 36 months and an operating period of 10 years and 2 months. In other words, we will complete this bridge in 3 years. We will operate it for 10 years and 2 months, and then transfer it to the state. You can rest assured that, with God’s permission, we will complete this project on time and to a high standard, just as we have with all the other projects we have committed to.

Mr. President, throughout my 44-year professional career, I have always taken pride in and found joy in all the work I have done. However, I would like to sincerely express that two projects in particular have excited me the most to date; one of them is the university I built in my hometown of Ağrı, where 9,000 of our students are receiving an education. The second is the Third Bosphorus Bridge and Northern Marmara Highway Project—which we will lay the foundation for today—and which will be one of the world’s most important bridges connecting Europe to Asia.

Mr. Prime Minister, you once said, “The Third Bridge is my dream.” For me, however, this bridge holds a value that goes beyond my wildest dreams. As we prepared for this tender, we regarded the honor of building this bridge as a value that transcends any material gain.

I give thanks to God for granting me the opportunity to build this project. I extend my gratitude to our State and Government for creating this opportunity for us.

Distinguished guests,

Today, we are experiencing the excitement of laying the foundation for the Third Bosphorus Bridge—a structure that will unite the two shores of this beautiful city and two continents, and which, with its many unique features, is the first and only of its kind in the world.

This bridge will not only rank among the world’s leading bridges in terms of its design and technical specifications, but it will also take its place in history as a work of art created through advanced engineering and technology.

The 3rd Bosphorus Bridge will be the widest, longest, and tallest suspension bridge in the world, featuring four lanes of highway and a rail system; and I can proudly state that it will be built by a team composed primarily of Turkish engineers.

Today, we are bearing witness to history together with you. Thanks to the vision of our state and government, this project will come to life, and once again, the eyes of the entire world will turn to Istanbul."

IC İnşaat | The Bosphorus’s New Gem: Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge