Access to Kandıra via the North Marmara Motorway

The North Marmara Motorway and Access to Kandıra

Region · 27 May 2026 · 5 min read

One of the strongest factors that determine a region's investment value is transport. Kandıra is one of the most fortunate districts in this respect in recent years: the opening of the North Marmara Motorway (NMM) and the improvements on the İzmit-Kandıra road have made access to the district visibly easier.

The North Marmara Motorway Connection

With the opening of the motorway's Gebze-İzmit section in September 2020, vehicles coming from the Istanbul side can reach the İzmit-Kandıra State Road via the Çayırköy connection (for route details, see the motorway's official website). Thanks to this, an investor setting off from the Anatolian side of Istanbul can reach their parcel in Kandıra in 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 İzmit-Kandıra Road

The road works that strengthen the connection between İzmit and Kandıra are coming into service in stages. When the whole project is finished, the route is targeted to be shortened by about 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

  • İzmit – Kandıra: about 45 km,
  • Adapazarı – Kandıra: about 48 km,
  • Istanbul (Sultanbeyli) – Kandıra: about 116 km,
  • Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Kandıra Food OIZ: about 50 km.

How Does Transport Investment Affect Land Value?

A shorter travel time opens a region up to weekend use and summer living, and this directly feeds the demand for housing and land. In Kandıra's case, three dynamics work together:

  • the NMM connection made day-trip access from Istanbul possible;
  • the İzmit-Kandıra road speeds up the daily life and workforce movement between the Kocaeli centre and the district;
  • the Food OIZ is growing, in logistical terms, right in the middle of this road network.

We observe on the ground that, between the period when road investments are announced and the period when they are completed, there are marked value movements in parcels close to the route. When making an investment decision, one should look not only at a parcel's current transport 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, one needs to follow the projects in the region regularly. To get to know the district in general, you can read our Kandıra guide, and if you are curious about the coastal axis, our Kandıra coasts article. If you wonder which neighbourhood of Kandıra is fed by which route, and on which axes we expect value movement, you can take a look at our region pages or contact us directly.