A historic tunnel crossing under the premises of the Ottoman-era Beylerbeyi Palace located on the Asian coast of the Bosporus will be reopened for service to help reduce heavy congestion in the area.

According to a statement released by the Municipality of Üsküdar on Wednesday, the tunnel connecting the road running parallel to the Bosporus will begin service again.

With the reintroduction of the 230-meter-long tunnel, which served until the 1970’s and later used as museum and exhibition site, the travel time between Üsküdar, Beylerbeyi and Çengelköy districts is expected to be reduced from 1.5 hours to 15 minutes, the statement said.

The route along the Bosporus between these districts is heavily congested by Istanbulites and tourists for leisure and entertainment activities.

The tunnel was built along with the palace between 1829 and 1832 during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II to provide connection between the palace and its gardens.

Source: dailysabah.com