The Izmit Bay Bridge provides a north-south highway link between Dilovas? and the Hersek Peninsula in Turkey. At the north end of the bridge in Dilovasi, there exist port facilities just east of the bridge alignment. A proposed expansion project for these port facilities, within the scope of the BELDE Harbor Container Terminal Expansion Project, would place a container terminal, roll-on / roll-off terminal, and chemical materials storage tanks under the bridge alignment and immediately to its east and west. The port expansion project raised concerns of the owner and the contractor, NOMAYG with respect to maritime and landside port operations influencing the security, safety, and serviceability of the Izmit Bay Bridge.

In response to these concerns and prior to the construction, NOMAYG engaged OPAC to perform engineering studies to address maritime safe approach limits to the North Anchorage and North Tower of the bridge during construction and in service, and a landside safety corridor for chemical storage tanks, port facilities, and other construction. Studies by OPAC determined a landside security corridor as follows:

A. A 200 meter wide corridor free of all permanent port development to allow bridge construction and operation.

B. A 472 meter wide corridor free of liquid chemical storage and transport facilities, to protect the bridge from fire hazards.

C. A 1922 meter wide corridor free of liquefied hazardous gasses (LHG) storage and transport facilities, to protect the bridge from explosion hazards.