02.05.2026 04:11
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that with the completion of the Karaman-Ulukışla High-Speed Train Line, it will reach an annual capacity of 34 million tons of freight and 2.7 million passengers, and the travel time will be reduced from 3 hours 40 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated during the opening ceremony of Karaman Ring Road Section 1 that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they are working to bring projects worthy of Karaman's deep-rooted heritage.
Uraloğlu noted that they have renewed Karaman's 288-kilometer single-platform, one-way and return roads, and completed many important projects in the city, including ring roads, viaducts, bridges, overpasses, intersections, and grade-separated junctions.
WORK CONTINUES ON 5 MAJOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS
Uraloğlu reported that work is currently ongoing on 5 major highway projects, including the second stage of Karaman Ring Road, Karaman-Bucakkışla-Ermenek, Ermenek-Mut, Taşkent-Alanya junction and Sarıveliler roads, as well as the Sertavul Tunnel.
Uraloğlu, stating that Karaman experiences tourism mobility between the provinces of Konya, Mersin, and Antalya with its natural and historical beauties, and that the ring road project was implemented to reduce traffic congestion, said: "Due to the number of vehicles in the city exceeding 120,000 and its location on the important transit corridor between Konya-Mersin-Antalya, serious traffic congestion occurred. This situation negatively affected intra-city traffic and slowed down logistics, agriculture, and trade activities. Therefore, to strengthen Karaman's transportation infrastructure and carry it into the future, we implemented our total 21-kilometer Karaman Ring Road project in two parts. We completed the 12-kilometer Stage 1, which we are opening, as a 4-lane divided road with 2 lanes in each direction, with bituminous hot mix coating. In this section we put into service, we built 3 grade-separated junctions, 1 at-grade junction, 1 viaduct, 2 bridges, 3 underpasses, and 20 culverts, realizing one of the finest examples of modern engineering. Additionally, we planted 5,200 saplings suitable for the region's vegetation. By carrying out dry landscaping work on the 70,000 square meter junction and median areas, we created an aesthetic and sustainable environmental order that saves water."
Uraloğlu, emphasizing that they have made access to production and trade areas, especially Karaman Organized Industrial Zone, faster and safer, highlighted that 340 million lira will be saved annually with the ring road, and that annual carbon emissions will be reduced by 1,361 tons thanks to smoother traffic, contributing to environmental sustainability and climate-friendly transportation goals.
Uraloğlu, stating that the construction works of Karaman Ring Road continue, said: "With the completion of the 9.4-kilometer long second part, where we continue our construction works, we will integrate the Karaman-Konya State Highway route into the ring road network. Thus, by enabling the road to serve more effectively, we will provide Karaman with a more modern, smoother, safer, and sustainable transportation infrastructure." Uraloğlu noted that the second stage of the Ring Road is planned to be completed next year, but they will make efforts to finish the project this year.
TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN KONYA-KARAMAN-ULUKIŞLA WILL BE REDUCED TO 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES
Uraloğlu, stating that alongside highway projects, they are also working to strengthen railway transportation in Karaman, continued as follows: "We modernized the entire 177-kilometer existing old line within the provincial borders. We completed the Karaman OSB connection line. We opened the Konya-Karaman High-Speed Train Line on January 8, 2022. Since its inauguration, we have provided fast, safe, and comfortable transportation services to approximately 5 million 250 thousand passengers between Karaman and Konya, Ankara, and Istanbul. We are constructing the continuation of this line, the total 135-kilometer Karaman-Ulukışla Line, suitable for speeds of 200 kilometers per hour. The Karaman-Ulukışla High-Speed Train Line is a very important project that will open the door to a major transformation in logistics and passenger transportation, not only regionally but internationally. When completed, the freight potential of our line will be approximately 34 million tons, and the passenger potential will be 2.7 million annually. The line will reduce the travel time between Konya-Karaman-Ulukışla from 3 hours 40 minutes to approximately 1 hour 35 minutes. Additionally, we will provide high-speed train connections between the Marmara, Central Anatolia, Aegean, and Mediterranean regions, and even the Southeastern Anatolia Region. Insha'Allah, we plan to complete our project in the last quarter of next year and put it into service. Further along our line, between Ulukışla-Yenice, initially with a conventional line, and then with the high-speed train line between Aksaray-Yenice, for which we held the tender in the first month of this year, we will connect to production and logistics centers primarily in Mersin, as well as Adana, Osmaniye, and Gaziantep."
After the speech, Minister Uraloğlu and his entourage cut the opening ribbon accompanied by a prayer from Provincial Mufti Faruk Gürbüz.