31.10.2026 15:02
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu opened the Dallıkavak Tunnel and the Dadaşkent-Yıldızkent New Generation Junction on the Erzurum-Rize road. Stating that the tunnel shortens the road by approximately 4.5 kilometers and reduces the 20-minute passage to 5 minutes, Uraloğlu said that an annual saving of 103 million liras will be provided. Uraloğlu also announced that the Erzincan-Erzurum-Kars line will be converted into a high-speed railway.
The 8 sharp bends at the Dallıkavak Pass, at an elevation of 2,349 meters, have been eliminated with the opened tunnel. The route, which was a difficult passage for drivers in winter due to blizzards and icing, will now be used from elevations 190 meters lower.
DIVIDED ROADS EXCEED 30,000 KILOMETERS
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Uraloğlu said that highways are the fundamental element that increases economic growth through industry, agriculture and tourism activities in developed countries. Noting that they work in challenging geographies, Uraloğlu provided the following information:
“We increased the divided road length from 6,101 kilometers to over 30,000 kilometers. While only 7 of our provinces were connected to each other, today, thank God, we have connected 77 of our provinces with divided roads. In challenging geographies, crossing high mountains and deep valleys such as Dallıkavak and Kırık, we have provided safe and comfortable transportation with bridges and tunnels that defy nature, and we will continue to do so. We increased the bridge viaduct length from 311 kilometers to 837 kilometers. Tunnel length was only 50 kilometers in 2002. Today we have increased it to 898 kilometers. While only 50 kilometers of tunnels were built in 80 years, since 2002 we have increased this 17-fold, thank God.”
“WE WILL HAVE BUILT AS MANY TUNNELS HERE AS IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC”
Emphasizing that tunnels are not only roads piercing mountains but also important channels of production, trade, tourism and employment, Uraloğlu said, “Today, with this understanding, on the north-south axis connecting Erzurum to Rize—this is our axis number 15—we are proud to put into service the Dallıkavak Tunnel and connection roads we have built. We are opening a tunnel here, but behind us there are 9 more tunnels under construction, and we have completed 8 tunnels,” he said.
Uraloğlu noted the following:
“We are building 43 kilometers of the road that will total 196 kilometers as tunnel—that is, we will have built as many tunnels here as in the entire history of the Republic. In the last 24 years, under the leadership of our President and as the People’s Alliance, we have invested over 168 billion liras in Erzurum’s transportation and communication infrastructure. With God’s permission, we will continue to do more. Our divided road length was only 49 kilometers; today it is 629 kilometers. We had 40 kilometers of hot-mix asphalt pavement; today we have increased it to 633 kilometers. We also opened the Ovit Tunnel in 2018 with the attendance of our President.
In 2021, by opening the Pirinkayalar Tunnel, we turned this difficult passage, which had 22 narrow and sharp bends, into a comfortable and safe driving route, thank God. We have also completed important projects such as the Horasan-Karakurt Road, the Aksukapı Bridge Interchange, the Çobandede-Hınıs-Varto and Erzurum-Tekman roads. We are continuing construction on 17 important highway projects, including the Trabzon-Aşkale Road—which includes the Kop Mountain Tunnel crossing—the Kırık Tunnel, the Çirişli Tunnel and connection roads, and the Pasinler city passage. ”
THE AXIS CONNECTING THE EASTERN BLACK SEA TO THE SOUTHEAST
Uraloğlu explained that the Erzurum-Rize Road and Dallıkavak Tunnel and Connection Roads Project is one of the most important north-south axes connecting the Eastern Black Sea to Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia.
Drawing attention to the fact that the project is a continuation and complement of the Ovit Tunnel, opened in 2018, and the Kırık Tunnel, whose construction is ongoing, Uraloğlu emphasized that the Dallıkavak Tunnel is a vital connection for regional and international trade.
8 SHARP BENDS BECAME HISTORY
Uraloğlu said, “When you go up to Dallıkavak, Erzurum’s winter greets you in a different way. At this pass at an elevation of 2,349 meters, the harsh and sharp wind blows the snow and creates blizzards. When thermometers show minus 30 degrees in the city center, this summit becomes more merciless and more challenging.” Saying that the 8 sharp bends and steep slope at the pass turn every bend into a separate test for drivers, Uraloğlu spoke as follows:
“Erzurum’s famous winter is of course beautiful, but for transportation it also requires a flawless infrastructure and organization to accompany it. So, by completing and putting into service the first 9-kilometer section of the Dallıkavak Tunnel and connection roads, we have stood together against this white siege. The Dallıkavak Tunnel and connection roads, which we built with a length of 3,105 meters and a twin-tube length of 6,210 meters, including its single tube, have completely eliminated that high pass and its 8 bends. ”
“WE WILL, GOD WILLING, HAVE BEEN USING THE MORE COMFORTABLE, MORE SHELTERED ROUTE STARTING TODAY”
Pointing to the importance of the route, Uraloğlu shared the following information:
“By lowering the route to elevations 190 meters lower, from today on, God willing, we will be using not the summit where snow and ice are most intense but a more comfortable and more sheltered route. With the bright, dry and safe passage offered by the tunnel, we are, God willing, replacing blizzards, icing and harsh winds. From now on, our Dadaş and Black Sea compatriots and our long-distance drivers will, God willing, have used the Dallıkavak Pass comfortably without fear and unease. With the opening of our project, we shortened our road by approximately 4.5 kilometers, reducing it from 20 minutes to just 5 minutes. In this way, we will also achieve annual savings of 103 million liras from here. We will also reduce carbon emissions by around 1,350 tons. Of course, we are talking about the route extending from here to Diyarbakır. ”
THE INTERCHANGE WILL PAY FOR ITSELF IN ONE YEAR
Uraloğlu said that with the Dadaşkent interchange built in Erzurum city center, annual savings of 137 million liras will be provided and the money spent will be recovered in about one year.
“WITH THE HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY, WE WILL, GOD WILLING, HAVE INTRODUCED OUR REGION, OUR ERZURUM, OUR ERZİNCAN AND OUR KARS TO EACH OTHER”
Touching on the high-speed train project on the Erzincan-Erzurum-Kars line, Uraloğlu used the following statements:
“What about the high-speed train? Construction work is currently ongoing on 4,850 kilometers of railway; this is valuable. Considering that we currently have 14,300 kilometers of railway, this is a very large figure. We will convert the railway we have brought to Sivas into a high-speed railway on the Erzincan-Erzurum-Kars line as well. This is not only Erzurum’s project. We are talking about a line starting from Central Asia, from Turkestan, and going through Turkey all the way to London. Therefore, even if you do not want it, we will do this, but your wanting it is of course valuable.For that reason, we have brought the project work to a certain stage. In the first stage, we will make the existing line electric and signalled. After that, we will, God willing, introduce our region, our Erzurum, our Erzincan and our Kars with a single-track each way, double-track high-speed railway. ”
Uraloğlu said that they consulted with Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality for the urban rail system and that they would present this project to the service of the people of Erzurum at the right time and under the right conditions.
WORK AT THE AIRPORT HAS REACHED THE FINAL STAGE
In the continuation of his speech, Uraloğlu stated the following:
“Look, today the 3-kilometer tunnel we are opening to service here is a tunnel about 10 percent as long as the tunnels built in the history of the Republic up to our government, up to the People’s Alliance, and today we are opening it together. May God be pleased with our President, who set us targets and put forward the will for these services to be carried out. Our President gave us all kinds of support in these works. He did not just provide support. He followed it very, very closely because the support our Erzurum gives to our AK Party, the People’s Alliance and, above all, to Mr. President is known to everyone. May God be pleased with you, my dear brothers. The support our Rize, our Black Sea region also gives to our President, our AK Party and our People’s Alliance is evident. May God be pleased with you. My esteemed Minister is reminding us. We have reached the end of the works at the airport. God willing, we will complete that too as soon as possible. May that also be auspicious, my dear brothers. ”
Uraloğlu, noting that he had served in Erzurum and knew the region well, said he was very happy to carry out this opening.
HE DROVE A TOGG THROUGH THE TUNNEL
At the ceremony, Erzurum Governor Aydın Baruş, Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş, AK Party Erzurum MPs Abdurrahim Fırat and Selami Altınok, MHP Erzurum MP Kamil Aydın, General Manager of Highways Ahmet Gülşen, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Sekmen and Rize Mayor Rahmi Metin also each made a speech. After prayers were said and the ribbon was cut, the tunnel was opened to traffic. Uraloğlu passed through the tunnel driving his TOGG vehicle.