Situated on the Mount Kop of Pontic Mountains, it is a 6,500 m (21,300 ft)-long twin-tube tunnel.[1] The cost of the construction is estimated to be ₺319 million.[2][3]
It was built to bypass the Kop Pass at 2,409 m (7,904 ft) elevation with hairpin turns.[4] The tunnel will also eliminate the four-month-long traffic inaccessibility during the winter months due to harsh climatic conditions by heavy snow fall, icing and fog.[1][2] It will shorten the route about 6 km (3.7 mi) and reduce the travel time to one hour.[3] The tunnel is situated at 2,050 m (6,730 ft) elevation.[3][5]
The groundbreaking ceremony was held in presence of Minister of Transport, Maritime and CommunicationBinali Yıldırım on 23 August 2012.[4] Excavation works progress about 20 m (66 ft) daily in each tunnel tube.[5] Opening of the tunnel is scheduled end of 2015.[3]Currently, 150 personnel are at work.[5]