Tunnel boring under the Bosphorus as part of the Eurasia Tunnel Project (Istanbul Strait Road Tunnel) began on 19.04.2014 with a ceremony at Haydarpasa construction site. The 3,300 t TBM has been named Yildirim Bayezed, after the Turkish sultan who led the golden age of the Ottoman Empire.

The TBM which has already started working in the Asian side is about 25 m beneath the seabed with daily progress of 8-10 m. The TBM is the second in the world among machines that use bentonite slurry with its 11 bar pressure, and sixth with its 13.7 m excavation diameter. Click tr/30 and here for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.avrasyatuneli.com.tr. 24/14.