The tender for Motorway Project for Gebze- Orhangazi-İzmir (including İzmit Bay Crossing and Connection Roads) was conducted on 9 April 2009 and the proposal submitted by Nurol-Özaltın- Makyol-Astaldi-Yüksel-Göçay Group was selected as to be the best proposal with 22 years and 4 months construction and operating period (7 years construction and 15 years and 4 months operation).

OTOYOL YATIRIM VE İŞLETME A.Ş. was founded on 20 September 2010 to perform the works of construction, operation and transfer of Gebze- Orhangazi-İzmir (including İzmit Bay Crossing and Connection Roads) Motorway Project through Build - Operate - Transfer model.

The project implementation agreement was signed between the General Directorate of Highways and OTOYOL YATIRIM VE İŞLETME A.Ş. on 27 September 2010.

The ceremony for start of construction works in Gebze for Gebze-Orhangazi-İzmir Motorway Project took place on 28 October 2010 in Dilovasi district of Kocaeli Province and The Ceremony for start of construction works in İzmir was held in Alsancak Cumhuriyet Square on 27 February 2011.

With the completion of Phase-I financing, the Contract was effective starting on March 15, 2013. Phase-I, between intersections from Gebze to Gemlik (including Osmangazi Suspension Bridge), was opened to traffic on July 1, 2016. Phase-II-A (between Gemlik to Bursa) was completed and opened to traffic on 12 March 2017 with an opening ceremony.

As part of Phase-II-B (between Bursa to İzmir), acceptance and the start of the operation between Saruhanlı-Kemalpaşa intersections were begun on December 1, 2018; Balıkesir North-Balıkesir West and Akhisar-Saruhanlı intersections were begun on March 17, 2019; and Bursa West-Balıkesir North and Balıkesir West-Akhisar intersections was begun on August 4, 2019. Thus, after August 5, 2019 the Gebze-Orhangazi-İzmir motorway has provided uninterrupted service to users.

The Project financing of 1.4 billion USD for Phase-I, 600 million USD Phase-II-A and 3 billion USD for Phase-II-B was completed on March 15, 2013, July 25, 2014 and June 05, 2015, respectively.

Out of the 7.2 billion USD total investment cost (excluding financing expense during operation), the project was funded by a 5 billion USD project finance loan and 2.2 billion USD equity contribution (1.4 billion USD from funds directly injected by shareholders and 800 million USD from early operational revenue). As of December 2022, a total of 1.472 billion USD principal has been repaid to Lenders.

Turkish Lenders;

Akbank, Finansbank, Ziraat Bankası, Garanti Bankası, Halk Bankası, İş Bankası, Vakıflar Bankası, Yapı ve Kredi Bankası.

Foreign Lenders;

Deutsche Bank, Saudi National Commercial Bank, Bank of China, Siemens Bank.

Project and Route

The advantage to be provided by shortening of the distance by 140 km in comparison to the advantage to be provided by shortening of the distance by 140 km in comparison to the current state highway has resulted in a total travel time between İstanbulİzmir from 8-10 hours previously to the current time of 3.5-4 hours.

The starting point of the project is Gebze and the Motorway crosses İzmit Bay located between Dilovası and Hersek through a Suspension Bridge of approximately 3.000 meters in length, then extends to Orhangazi and Gemlik and is connected to Bursa Ring Road at Ovaakça intersection.

Following the Bursa Ring Road, the motorway reaches Balıkesir starting with Bursa-Karacabey intersection and continues through the north of Susurluk. It continues south from the west of Balıkesir, ahead via Savaştepe, Soma, Kırkağaç districts and continues towards the west near Turgutlu. It moves along parallel route to the İzmir-Uşak state highway and finally connects with Anadolu Lisesi intersection over the İzmir ring road.

The project has a total length of 426 km including a highway length of 384 km and an access road length of 42 km. Along the route, there are 38 viaducts with a total length of 21.571 m, including The Northern / Southern Approach Viaducts, 3 tunnels with a total length of 6.445 m, 179 bridges, 20 toll collection areas, 22 intersections, 4 motorway and 2 tunnel maintenance- operation centres, as well as 33 Service Stations, of which 25 of these service stations include a petrol station.