Belkahve Tunnel

The Belkahve Tunnel (Belkahve Tüneli) is a motorway tunnel located in Izmir Province, Aegean Region as part of the Gebze-Orhangazi-İzmir Motorway in Turkey.

Situated at Belkahve Hill between Kavaklıdere in Bornova district and Ulucak in Kemalpaşa east of Izmir, it is a 1556 and 1653 m-long twin-tube tunnel carrying three lanes of traffic in each direction. The tubes are 12 m wide and have 6 m clearance. The construction works are being carried out by Otoyol A.Ş., a consortium of Turkish Nurol, Özaltın, Makyol, Yüksel, Göçay and Italian Astaldi companies. The New Austrian Tunnelling method (NATM) is being applied for the boring of the tunnel. Average daily progression in both tubes of the tunnel is 4 m, where 60 people are at work. Grounbreaking ceremony was held in presence of Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Binali Yıldırım on 7 July 2013.

The tunnel was opened to traffic on 8 March 2017 by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.

Other tunnels on the route are the 3586 and 3591 m-long Orhangazi Tunnel and the 1192 and 1303 m-long Selçukgazi Tunnel.