Bolu Mountain Tunnel Passage and Economic Impacts
The Bolu Mountain Tunnel crossing of the Anatolian Motorway was closed to traffic on July 31 due to tunnel extension and joint work to be done on the viaducts. This situation caused a significant change for vehicles going in the direction of Istanbul. Vehicles had to exit the Abant toll booths on the motorway and continue on the D-100 highway. The closure of the 23-kilometer route between the Abant and Kaynaşlı toll booths in the Istanbul direction for 50 days caused thousands of vehicles to use the Bolu Mountain crossing of the D-100 highway daily.
As a result of drivers choosing the highway at the Bolu Mountain pass, which is the most important transit route between Ankara and Istanbul, the faces of the steakhouse operators on the D-100 highway were happy. The business of the Bolu Mountain tradesmen increased by 80% compared to the days when the tunnel was open. The increase in the number of personnel of the businesses due to the increasing density also provided jobs for the people living in the surrounding villages.
Şaban Usta, one of the operators in Bolu Mountain, evaluated the increase in business as follows: “We strive to provide the best service to our guests. We introduce the beauties of Bolu Mountain to the world. We invited our young people who were idle and housewives who were sitting in their homes in the village to work here and provided them with jobs For a short time, they also earn their living. Before 2004, our grandfathers and fathers used this road. However, now young people between the ages of 20 and 30 generally prefer the highway. see the beauties of this mountain, benefit from its blessings and benefit from the service we offer. The biggest source of income for our surrounding villages is the businesses located on this road route. Our villages have no other income, and there is no agriculture or. animal husbandry. We expect support from our state officials so that we can fight unemployment.”
Yavuz Temel, who works in a business on Bolu Mountain, expressed the benefits of the road closure for them, “We have seen a 70% increase in business. The economy is already generally low. In normal times, people would come to eat, but now there are many more customers coming,”he said.
