Construction work for the controversial third bridge on the Bosphorus could begin as early as next year. It all depends on whether a tender is chosen within a few months.

The Turkish government unveiled the route for the new controversial bridge in April, which will be built over the northern end of the strait close to the Black Sea. The 1,275-meter suspension bridge will connect the Northern Marmara Highway with the Trans-European Motorway with an estimated total sum ranging from between $5 billion and $6 billion, including the price for expropriation. The bridge and 90 kilometers of highway will have eight lanes, while the rest will have six.  

For the opponents, like the Turkish Green Party, more than 1.5 million trees will be cut down to make way for the construction of the bridge. The Greens have launched a campaign against the construction of the bridge called “2 million Istanbul residents for 2 million trees of Istanbul.”

Istanbul's first bridge was the Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge. Built in 1973, the 1,510-meter gravity anchored suspension bridge is located between Ortaköy on the European side and Beylerbeyi on the Asian side. In 1988, Istanbul's second bridge was built and named after the 15th century Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror.