Greece hands final design for new cross-border ‘Friendship Bridge’ to Türkiye

Plans for a new cross-border bridge between Türkiye and Greece, known as the “Friendship Bridge,” have reportedly reached a decisive stage after Greek company Egnatia Odos SA submitted the final study and design to Ankara.

The bridge will span the Meric (Evros) River at the Bahçeköy (Kipi)–Ipsala crossing and is expected to be completed around 2027. Egnatia CEO Konstantinos Koutsoukos said the project, which began in 2006, has accelerated in recent years. “After four years of tension between the two sides, we can hand over the final study and design of the new bridge at Kipi,” he said.

A 3D model released by the project team shows the structure’s anticipated design. The bridge will be a 400-meter cabled structure with four lanes—two in each direction—and a width exceeding 30 meters, offering a major improvement in road safety and cross-border mobility.

According to turkiyetoday, both Greece and Türkiye are preparing tender documents, with contractor selection expected to follow. A joint supervision team comprising officials from Greece’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation and Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure will oversee construction.

The project was awarded in 2022 to Greek engineering firms Egis and Mavrakis & Partners. Positioned downstream from the existing Ipsala-Bahçeköy (Kipi) Bridge, it will operate as a complementary crossing.

Türkiye’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu noted that while the current bridge, built in 1958, remains structurally sound, it cannot handle growing traffic levels. The new bridge aims to ease congestion and facilitate smoother movement of passengers and freight.

The Friendship Bridge will form part of the future pan-European Corridor IV, linking Europe and Asia. On the Greek side, it will integrate into the Egnatia–Selanik (Thessaloniki)– Bahçeköy (Kipi) motorway, while on the Turkish side, it will connect to the Ipsala–Istanbul route.

The project stems from a 2006 intergovernmental agreement and received final approval during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 2023 visit to Athens. Officials say the bridge will reduce congestion at one of the region’s busiest land borders and support cross-border transport for decades to come.