Discover the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in Istanbul—the world’s widest Bosphorus crossing linking Europe and Asia. Facts on its design, construction, and impact.
In Istanbul, where every corner breathes history, a bridge has stepped forward as a clear emblem of the present. It’s not always the first name that comes up when people talk about Bosphorus crossings—though it ought to be. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the city’s third, is more than a link from shore to shore. It’s a vast, audacious structure that binds two continents—Europe and Asia—and stands as a point of pride for Turkey.
Every day, millions move across Istanbul’s roads, and the existing Bosphorus bridges long ago hit their limits. So in 2013, construction began on a new crossing named for Sultan Selim I, known as Yavuz, an Ottoman ruler who greatly expanded the empire’s borders. The goal was straightforward: a fast, convenient route across the city, especially for those skirting the center.
It’s hard to overstate the scale. The bridge stretches more than two kilometers, with a main span of 1,408 meters. Most striking of all, it is the widest bridge in the world—nearly 60 meters across, broader than an eight-lane highway.
It also ranks among the tallest of its kind: the towers rise to 322 meters, higher than the Eiffel Tower without its antenna. Perhaps the most surprising detail is that both cars and trains share the same level, a rare pairing that underscores the ambition of the design.
The project brought together specialists from several countries, including France and Switzerland, while Turkish and Italian companies handled construction. The bridge came together in almost three years and opened in August 2016. Hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete and steel went into the structure, with the overall price tag at about 3 billion dollars.
Drivers no longer have to plunge into central Istanbul to cross the Bosphorus. That’s a major advantage for trucks and intercity buses. As part of a major bypass, the bridge has sharply eased congestion and sped up traffic.
Today, it’s more than a road. The bridge has become a key piece of Turkey’s infrastructure and could even shape international freight routes. It makes moving goods simpler, which supports the economy. Standing on the strait, it reads like a confident statement of what Istanbul can build—and a landmark the city can genuinely be proud of.