Zigana Tunnel

The Zigana Tunnel (Turkish: Zigana Tüneli) is a road tunnel constructed on the Maçka, Trabzon–Torul, Gümüşhane state highway D.885 E97 southwest of the provincial border Trabzon–Gümüşhane, northeastern Turkey. It was opened to traffic in 1988.

Zigana Tunnel
Zigana Tüneli

Overview
Location	Maçka–Torul, Gümüşhane Province, Turkey
Coordinates	40°38′58″N 39°23′36″E Zigana Tunnel Location of Zigana Tunnel in Turkey
Status	Operational
Route	D.885 E97
Operation
Work begun	1975
Opened	1988
Operator	General Directorate of Highways
Traffic	automotive
Technical
Length	1,702 m (5,584 ft)
No. of lanes	2 x 1
Highest elevation	1,820 m (5,970 ft)
Lowest elevation	1,795 m (5,889 ft)
Tunnel clearance	8.50 m (27.9 ft)
Width	11.20 m (36.7 ft)

Situated at Zigana Pass on the Pontic Mountains, the 1,702 m (5,584 ft)-long tunnel was excavated in two years. The breakthrough took place on 2 September 1977. It carries one lane of traffic in each direction in one tube, which has 8.50 m (27.9 ft) clearance and 11.20 m (36.7 ft) width.[1] The tunnel's elevation is at 1,820–1,795 m (5,971–5,889 ft) in the north-south direction.[2][3][4]

New Zigana Tunnel project

In September 2013, it was announced that a new tunnel is projected at Zigana Pass. It will be a 12,888 m (42,283 ft)-long twin-tube tunnel carrying two lanes of traffic in each direction between Güzelyayla, Maçka and Köstere, Torul at 1,253–1,211 m (4,111–3,973 ft) elevation.[2]

References

1. Kaptan, Suavi (1977-09-02). "Zigana tüneli açıldı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Geçmiş Gazete. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
2. Ergin, Recep (2013-09-10). "İşte yeni Zigana Tüneli". Ihlas News Agency (in Turkish). Retrieved 2014-05-09.
3. "Harşıt Vadisinde Tüneller". Ihlas News Agency (in Turkish). 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
4. "Tüneller şehri Gümüşhane". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). 2003-09-21. Retrieved 2014-05-10.

External links

• Video animation of the existing and the projected tunnels