Heavy traffic hits Istanbul on first day of school adaptation week

Istanbul faced heavy traffic on the first weekday of the school adaptation week, as preschool, first-grade and fifth-grade students began attending classes and school buses joined the morning rush.

Vehicles moved slowly on several major routes. On the European side, congestion affected the D-100 highway around Avcılar, Küçükçekmece, Bakırköy, Cevizlibağ, the Golden Horn Bridge, Okmeydanı, Mecidiyeköy and the area around the July 15 Martyrs Bridge.

Traffic also moved slowly along Basın Ekspres Avenue, the connecting roads to the TEM motorway, the Karaköy-Beşiktaş coastal road and Barbaros Boulevard. On the Asian side, congestion on the D-100 began in Kartal and continued toward the entrance to the Eurasia Tunnel.

Drivers faced slow traffic on the TEM motorway between Şile Road, Ümraniye Çakmak and the July 15 Martyrs Bridge. Traffic heading toward the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge stretched from Ümraniye to the bridge entrance, while parts of Şile Motorway between Altunizade and Ümraniye also saw congestion.

Some passengers traveling to work and school crowded tram, metro, bus and metrobus stops. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's Cep Trafik map put overall traffic density at up to 65%, with congestion on the Asian side measured at 75%.