ANKARA - A "giant step" will be taken in the Marmaray Project soon, described as the "project of the century" which aims to connect Asia and Europe to each other under the sea.
The first tube tunnel of Marmaray will be located at a 60m-sea depth in 10 days, if the weather conditions and streams in the Bosphorus are available, it was reported.
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim told AA that locating the first tube was the most important phase after opening tunnels under water with the TBN machines which were described as "moles".
Yildirim noted that a total of 2,770 piles were driven into the concrete construction covering a 460m-distance, in order to provide protection against probable earthquakes.
Indicating that several channels were formed under the sea where a total of 11 tube tunnels would be located, Yildirim said the sinking process would be started with the 11th tube tunnel.
"If all the conditions are available, placement of the first tunnel will start in the evening and it will be terminated by noon the next day," Yildirim said, noting that Bosphorus would be closed to traffic for 6 hours at the beginning of the operation and 2 hours during the sinking process the following day.