With the implementation of the government's measures, traffic congestion on the FSM Bridge has diminished. Three lanes on the bridge, one of two linking the Asian and European sides of İstanbul, are currently closed off to traffic due to ongoing maintenance work on the bridge.
These measures include increasing the number of toll booths; redirecting intercity buses to the Bosporus Bridge during certain hours; more traffic controllers on the FSM Bridge; stationing ambulances, fire trucks and tow trucks near bridge exits; and placing mobile cafeterias and toilets near the FSM Bridge.
The closure led to heavy congestion earlier in the week, stranding hundreds of drivers on the bridge in the summer heat. Vehicles waited for more than five hours in oppressive temperatures with some drivers having to spend the night in their vehicles.
