Significant traffic jams formed in Istanbul early Wednesday as dense fog enveloped parts of the Turkish metropolis located on the border between Europe and Asia, Turkish media reported.
The fog affected road and sea traffic in the Istanbul Strait, which runs between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, reducing visibility and drivers were forced to exercise caution.
Major motorways, including D-100 and the Trans-European Motorway (TEM), saw heavy traffic in both directions, with vehicles moving at a slight slowdown in some areas.
Key bridges connecting the European and Asian parts of the city across the strait, including the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, were also heavily congested. Long queues formed at toll booths for the Eurasia Tunnel, an underwater road tunnel.
Long queues also formed at the toll booths of the Eurasia Tunnel, an underwater road tunnel.
According to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the overall traffic density in the city has reached 65 per cent and 78 per cent in the Asian part.
On the famous Istanbul Strait, which divides Istanbul into European and Asian parts of the city, ferry traffic was suspended due to poor visibility, putting more strain on other public transport modes, including the Metro, the high-speed Metrobus and Marmaray, the underwater railway line.
