İSKİ, which closely follows technological developments, has achieved another first. The first domestically manufactured and nationally produced TBM machine used in Istanbul’s first drinking-water tunnel has been presented to the people of Istanbul.

İSKİ introduced to members of the press the domestic and national TBM machine used to excavate the “Zeytinburnu Drinking-Water Tunnel”. The presentation was attended by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş, İSKİ General Manager Fatih Turan, İSKİ Deputy General Manager Recep Hazır, Head of the Water Construction Department Necati Çalık and members of the press.

At the presentation, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş toured the tunnel with members of the press and gave information about the construction. Topbaş said tunnel excavation had once been carried out by hand, and that as technology advanced, TBM (mole) machines had replaced the earlier equipment. He stated that production had begun in Kocaeli of the TBM machine, whose content was 95% domestic and national, and that it would soon be manufactured entirely in Türkiye.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş continued: “It is very important that we can make this technology in our own country. I first saw a TBM machine in Spain and was tremendously excited. It is very important that we are now applying that technology in our country. This means that manufacturing these machines will prevent national wealth from flowing abroad; we will even earn money by selling them. Every successful project delivered at a time when Istanbul is being followed so closely will bring benefits back to us.”

Mayor Topbaş also said the tunnel works would not disturb Istanbul residents: “People in Istanbul will continue with their daily lives; traffic will not be disrupted. We have transformed from a municipality that could not pay its employees’ wages into an institution investing TRY 16.5 billion. Our municipality has no debt and we continue our investments without interruption. It is not an easy task: we provide complete services to Istanbul’s 15 million people.

“The drinking-water tunnel whose construction began in Zeytinburnu will be completed in the second half of 2018. The line will be 2,600 mm in diameter and 3,100 metres long. The project will cost TRY 36 million. Its deepest point is 60 metres underground, and its average depth is 30 metres.”

After his address, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş instructed the TBM operator to start the work.