Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge ceremony was held on 29 May 2013. The bridge was opened to traffic on 26 August 2016. At , the bridge is one of the tallest bridges in the world. It is, after the Millau Viaduct, the second-tallest bridge in the world of any type. The bridge is also one of the world's widest suspension bridges, at wide. The bridge is part of the projected Northern Marmara Motorway (), which will bypass urban areas of Istanbul in the north connecting Kınalı, Silivri in the west and Paşaköy, Hendek in the east. The bridge is in length with a main span
Michel Virlogeux Large Concrete Bridge Division, and in 1987 of the large Bridge Division, Steel and Concrete. During twenty years he designed more than 100 bridges, including the Normandy Bridge which held the world record for longest cable-stayed bridge for four years. In 1995 he left the French Administration and set up as independent consulting engineer; his major achievements include his participation in the construction of the 'Second Tagus Crossing', the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, and the design of the Millau Viaduct in France. Several of his bridges have received architectural awards. Since 1977 Dr Virlogeux has been a part-time