Kocaeli, Turkey, earthquake of August 17, 1999: reconnaissance report, Chapter 17 -- performance of transportation systems after the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake

Transportation systems, including railroads, airports, and highways, performed reasonably well during the 1999 Kocaeli, Turkey, earthquake. The Turkish railway system was mainly affected where the surface fault rupture zone crossed the tracks. The damaged railroads were repaired within three days. One train power substation had minor damage, but power was quickly restored using adjacent substations. In addition, the Istanbul Terminal Building train station sustained minor damage; fortunately, there were no injuries because the station was closed at the time. The Ataturk Airport suffered no significant damage, even though generator fuel tanks and emergency batteries were not anchored. Airport systems and facilities did not experience any power failures, and airport operation continued without delays after the earthquake. Such good performance may be attributed to a low level of acceleration at the Ataturk Airport. However, the control tower of Cengiz Topel Military Airport in Izmit suffered significant damage, rendering the tower unusable and reducing airport operations. A massive traffic jam developed on the highways in the earthquake-affected areas immediately after the event and took nearly 24 hours to clear. This traffic jam was caused mainly by the public response to the near-immediate overload/failure of telecommunications systems. Broadcast messages to stay off the roadways were apparently ineffective. Within three days of the earthquake, all roads had been reopened, although at reduced capacity. This chapter describes the Turkish railway system and its performance and repair after the earthquake. It also summarizes the effects of the earthquake on airports, as well as on the overall functioning of the highway systems in terms of emergency response. The structural performance of highways and bridges is described in chapter 18.