On 29 October 2013 the world’s first tunnel connecting two continents was opened under the Bosphorus, the narrow entrance to the Black Sea where the continents of Asia and Europe meet (see back page map). Construction of the 13.6 km tunnel was begun in 2004. It forms part of the metro service in the city of Istanbul, Turkey, and is known as the Marmaray Link. It connects the eastern and western sides of Istanbul, which stands astride this important strait.
The 1.4 km-long underwater section beneath the straits was constructed in an unusual way, by lowering steel-lined pre-cast concrete sections into a trench excavated on the seabed. As it is located in a known earthquake zone, the tunnel is designed to be earthquake proof.
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