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Eurasia Tunnel: The Supertube

Driving 106 meters below the sea

Bosch employee Murat Ozcihan stands in front of the Eurasia Tunnel.

The Eurasia Tunnel underneath the Bosphorus strait shortens the commute between Europe and Asia to 15 minutes. Bosch associate Murat Ozcihan and his team are ensuring the safety of this underwater traffic connection with the help of innovative video and fire detection systems.

“People want to feel safe when millions of liters of water are flowing above their heads.”
Murat Ozcihan, Business Development Manager, Bosch Security Systems

Fast connection

Bosch employee Murat Ozcihan in front of the Eurasia Tunnel.
Video cameras from Bosch Security Systems monitor the tunnel entrance.

A traffic jam. And yet another traffic jam. Murat Ozcihan has lived in Istanbul, Türkiye for 25 years. He loves the vibrant atmosphere in this metropolis. If only it weren’t so crazy out on the roads every day. Istanbul is known for having some of the highest levels of traffic in the world. But a superb new structure — the Eurasia Tunnel — is now providing a little relief for the ongoing traffic problems. Running 5,4 kilometers under the Bosporus, this twin-deck tunnel with two lanes on each level connects two continents. When traffic is flowing, it takes less than 15 minutes travel time to drive through it. Around 60,000 vehicles a day currently use this unique channel under the sea connecting the Asian side and European side of Istanbul.

Blue tunnel ceiling

With so many vehicles a day — and at 106 meters below the sea — traffic has to run smoothly and safely. A job for Murat Ozcihan. He and his ten-member team from Bosch Security Systems have been involved in the project right from the start. “We have installed 5,500 fire detectors in the tunnel. Automated detectors, sounders and manual call points ensure that any fires can be detected very quickly,” says Ozcihan. More than 100 emergency phones on each level are an additional safety feature for drivers.

A car drives through the Eurasia Tunnel. The tunnel has a illuminated ceiling with blue light.
The underwater segment of the tunnel has a blue ceiling.

The Eurasia Tunnel: an engineering marvel

An entry of the Eurasia Tunnel. The numbers on the picture say that it only takes 15 minutes to get from Europe to Asia through the tunnel and that 60,000 cars a day drive trough it.
It only takes 15 minutes to travel from the European to the Asian side of the Eurasia Tunnel.
A car drives through the Eurasia Tunnel. The numbers on the picture say that there are 5,500 fire detection devices and 100 emergency telephones in the tunnel.
The Eurasia Tunnel is equipped with thousands of security components by Bosch.
A surveillance camera at one of the tunnel exits. The number on the picture says that there is a 24/7 Bosch incident detection with video surveillance in the tunnel.
The entrances and exits to the Eurasia Tunnel are under 24-hour surveillance.
A car drives through the Eurasia Tunnel. The number on the picture says that the tunnel lies 106 meters below sea level.
The tubes of the Eurasia Tunnel, equipped with Bosch security technology, lie deep below the sea.
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Maximum safety

Murat Ozcihan steers his car trough the Eurasia Tunnel.
Fast and safe: The tunnel makes driving in Istanbul more pleasant.

More than 500 video cameras from Bosch analyze the traffic in the undersea Bosphorus road tunnel. Accidents are detected automatically and immediately. Everything is controlled on a single platform, and the data are transferred to an enormous safety control center right at the tunnel. The system guides rescue teams rapidly to accident sites, and prevents traffic jams from occurring.

“The Eurasia Tunnel takes some of the pressure off traffic conditions in Istanbul. I can now arrange to meet friends for dinner at short notice on the other side of the Bosporus and get there on time — and safely,” says Murat Ozcihan with pride.

From Europe to Asia in 15 minutes

Supertube: Bosch technology keeps the Eurasia Tunnel safe and secure
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Murat Ozcihan

Bosch employee Murat Ozcihan stands on a balcony and looks down onto the city traffic of Istanbul.

Murat Ozcihan

Senior Business Development Manager, Bosch Security Systems Türkiye

It was a great challenge to build the Eurasia Tunnel. I’m very proud to be a part of this project.

Murat Ozcihan was born in the city of Rize at the Black Sea in December 1973 and studied electrical engineering at Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul. He has been Senior Business Development Manager at Bosch Security Systems in Istanbul for six years. He has lived in Istanbul for 25 years. His hobbies: going to movies and the fitness studio — preferably with his family.

Summary

The Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul doesn’t just connect two continents. It is a unique piece of construction in many ways. Thousands of components from Bosch Security Systems help to ensure that traffic flows smoothly.

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