Kuzey Marmara Otoyolu üzerinden Kandıra'ya ulaşım

The Northern Marmara Motorway and Access to Kandıra

Region · 20 June 2026 · 5 min read

One of the strongest factors determining a region's investment value is transport. In this respect, Kandıra is one of the most fortunate districts of recent years: the opening of the Northern Marmara Motorway (KMO) and the improvements on the Izmit-Kandıra road have made access to the district noticeably easier.

The Northern Marmara Motorway Connection

With the opening of the Gebze-Izmit section of the Northern Marmara Motorway in September 2020, vehicles coming from the Istanbul side can reach the Izmit-Kandıra State Road via the Çayırköy connection (for route details, see the motorway's official site). This means an investor setting out from the Anatolian side of Istanbul can reach their parcel in Kandıra within an average of 1 to 1.5 hours without getting stuck in traffic. The route is also quite comfortable for those coming from the European side via the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge.

The Izmit-Kandıra Road

Road works that strengthen the connection between Izmit and Kandıra are entering service in stages. When the project is fully completed, the route is expected to be shortened by approximately 15 km and the journey time to drop from 60 minutes to 40 minutes. This improvement speeds up access not only to the district centre, but also to coastal towns such as Kefken and Kerpe.

Distances

  • Izmit – Kandıra: approximately 45 km,
  • Adapazarı – Kandıra: approximately 48 km,
  • Istanbul (Sultanbeyli) – Kandıra: approximately 116 km,
  • Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Kandıra GİOSB: approximately 50 km.

How Do Transport Investments Affect Land Value?

A shorter travel time opens a region up to weekend use and summer living; this directly feeds demand for housing and building plots. In the case of Kandıra, three dynamics are working together:

  • The KMO connection made day-trip access from Istanbul possible;
  • The Izmit-Kandıra road speeds up daily life and the movement of the labour force between the centre of Kocaeli and the district;
  • The Specialised Food Organised Industrial Zone is growing, in logistical terms, right in the middle of this road network.

We observe in the field that significant value movements occur in parcels close to the route between the period when road investments are announced and the period when they are completed. When making an investment decision, you need to look not only at the parcel's current access, but also at its position relative to planned road projects.

Remember: a parcel's price today reflects current transport conditions; planned road projects, on the other hand, shape tomorrow's price. For the right timing, you need to follow regional projects regularly. To get to know the district in broad terms, you can read our Kandıra guide, and if you are curious about the coastal axis, our Kandıra coasts article. If you are wondering which neighbourhood of Kandıra is served by which route, and on which axes we expect value movements, you can take a look at our regional pages or contact us directly.