The 15 July Martyrs’ Bridge over the Bosphorus, the Galata and Unkapanı bridges, the Eurasia Tunnel (Avrasya Tüneli) and a long list of roads on both sides of Istanbul will be closed to traffic on Sunday, 1 November, for the 48th Türkiye İş Bankası Istanbul Marathon, NTV, TGRT Haber and Karar reported on Friday.
The closures begin at 03:00 on Sunday and stay in place until the event ends, according to the reports. None of them gave a time for roads to reopen.
The route
The race starts at the metrobus stop on the 15 July Martyrs’ Bridge on the Asian side and finishes in front of the Obelisk (Dikilitaş) in Sultanahmet Square, NTV, TGRT Haber and Karar said.
After crossing the bridge to the European side, the course follows Barbaros Boulevard and Dolmabahçe Avenue to Karaköy, crosses the Galata Bridge and continues along Kennedy Avenue, the Marmara coastal road, towards Zeytinburnu and Bakırköy. Runners turn back at the Air Force Academy (Hava Harp Okulu) in Bakırköy and return via Sirkeci and Gülhane Park to Sultanahmet, according to NTV and Karar.
Main closures
According to the closure lists published by NTV, which credited Anadolu Agency (AA), and by TGRT Haber, the main roads to be shut are the 15 July Martyrs’ Bridge and the Yıldız connection road, the coastal road (Sahil Yolu) between Beşiktaş and Karaköy and between Eminönü and Yeşilköy, the Galata Bridge and the Eurasia Tunnel.
NTV and Karar also listed the Unkapanı Bridge among the closures.
On the Asian side, the lists include Abdullahağa Avenue near the bridge, the area around Beylerbeyi pier, Kısıklı Avenue and several junctions on the D-100 highway, NTV and TGRT Haber reported.
On the European side, closures cover squares and junctions in Beşiktaş, Ortaköy, Dolmabahçe, Kabataş, Fındıklı, Tophane and Karaköy. In the historic peninsula, Ragıp Gümüşpala Avenue, Reşadiye Avenue, Atatürk Boulevard, the Hippodrome (Sultanahmet At Meydanı), Yerebatan Avenue, Klodfarer Avenue, Nuruosmaniye Avenue and Ayasofya Square are on the lists, according to NTV and Karar.
None of the reports announced changes to metro, tram, ferry or metrobus services on race day.
Sources
- İstanbullular dikkat: 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü dahil birçok yol kapanacak (NTV)
- Trafiğe çıkacaklar dikkat: Pazar günü İstanbul’da bu yollar kapalı olacak (TGRT Haber)
- İstanbul maratonu nedeniyle köprüler ve yollar kapanacak (Karar)
Photo: Betul photodiaries / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
