Antalya to Mersin in 2 hours: If this project goes through, everything will be solved!
Associate Professor Yasemin Leventeli from Akdeniz University's Department of Geological Engineering has developed a monorail project to ease urban transportation in Antalya, anticipating that the city's population will double by 2040. Leventeli claims this project will reduce the travel time for the 402-kilometer distance between Antalya and Mersin from 11 hours to 2 hours.
According to a report in Gazete Duvar, while the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure places great importance on high-speed train projects, Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu highlighted that the number of passengers traveling by high-speed trains has reached 86 million, with demand increasing. Leventeli pointed out that rail systems, prevalent in Europe and the Far East, are safe transportation alternatives and similar systems could be successful in Turkey.
Dr. Leventeli discussed the project, which aims to address Antalya's transportation issues and integrate it with other cities, in an interview with Gazete Duvar. Supported by the Akdeniz University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit in 2008, the project aims to reduce the travel time between Antalya and Mersin to 2 hours.
Leventeli explained the project's details: "Tourists visiting Antalya should travel to places like Adana, Mersin, Maraş, Mardin, and Hatay instead of just staying at their hotels. Currently, traveling from Antalya to the eastern Mediterranean takes half a day. The monorail is a fast, comfortable, and environmentally friendly solution to shorten this time. Monorail systems are successfully used in Europe and Asia, and we can implement a similar system in Antalya."
Leventeli emphasized that they are not opposed to highways and that transportation systems should complement each other. Expressing satisfaction with the increase in high-speed train projects in Turkey, she noted that the monorail system could solve traffic problems in built-up cities like Antalya. Unlike existing rail systems, it would pass over the city without disrupting traffic, providing safer and quieter transportation.
Leventeli stated that the Antalya-Mersin line is planned in three phases and will enhance the tourism and trade potential. The monorail project will cut the 402-kilometer journey from 11 hours to 2 hours, enabling day trips between Antalya and Mersin.
Leventeli emphasized that the monorail is an eco-friendly solution, requiring minimal space and causing no harm to nature, with cost calculations showing it to be more economical than roadways. She highlighted the importance of adhering to geological and engineering standards for the project and mentioned that renewable energy sources would be utilized along the route. - Haber Merkezi
