Çirişli: Mountain Pass and Tunnel Project

Çirişli Pass is located within Çirişli at an elevation of 2,400 meters on the Bingöl–Erzurum road. It is also on the road between Çat and Karlıova. This provides a specific geographical reference when choosing a destination: the pass is located on both named roads, and the tunnel project is also at the pass. If you are considering a hotel stay in Çirişli, you can take the pass and road location into account as part of your destination decision. The location of the pass is a permanent geographical reference; the expected effects of the tunnel, by contrast, depend on the structure being completed.

Tunnel Project and Road Connection

The tunnel project at Çirişli Pass consists of two tubes, each 4,750 meters long. The total tunnel length is 9,500 meters. Once completed, the tunnel is expected to shorten the road connection between Bingöl and Erzurum; the existing road is expected to be shortened by about 1.5 kilometers. The structure is also expected to make travel between the two cities more comfortable and reduce the risk of avalanches and ice on the route. All these effects depend on the tunnel being completed. The 9,500 meters refers to the tunnel’s length, while the approximately 1.5 kilometers refers to the expected shortening of the existing road.

Regional Transport Route

The Çirişli Tunnel is an important part of a 526-kilometer north–south transport route running from Rize via Erzurum and Bingöl to Diyarbakır. The 526 kilometers refers to the entire transport route, not just the tunnel. In addition, via Erzurum, the tunnel is intended to connect the Black Sea, Southeastern Anatolia, and the Mediterranean region. The transport route specifies a concrete sequence of places; the connection objective describes the intended link between larger regions.

Construction Progress and Project Status

After a two-year interruption, work on the tunnel picked up pace again starting in June 2026. As of August 20, 2026, excavation and support work had reached 60 percent completion, while final concrete work had reached 49 percent. These percentages refer to different work stages and are not a combined overall completion rate. Also as of August 20, 2026, completion was planned for the end of 2028. If your travel decision depends on the future tunnel connection, it is advisable to check the current project status in advance.

Other Local Points of Interest

The tomb of Ali Baran is located in the cemetery in Çirişli village. In the center of Çat district stands the approximately 250-year-old Ottoman Çarşı Çeşmesi, which bears an inscription. Hölenk Kaplıcaları is located in Hölenk village. According to tradition, its springs, believed to have healing properties, supposedly emerge once every seven years.

Discover more destinations: Horasan, Gözalan Köyü, Erzurum, Gümüşlük, Duatepe Köyü, Oltu

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