Article updated 9th April: It's time for the Kalkan Turkish Local News road update for April 2010, complete with up to date photos.

We start with details of the main Izmir to Antalya highway, the D400, which will effectively create a dual-carriageway bypass around Kalkan.

The main focus of activity at the moment is between the Luka restaurant junction and Kömürlük, although a couple of rock breaking machines were seen breaking away from the rest of the pack, heading (slowly) in the direction of Kışla.

We also spotted a couple of surveyors with their theodolites, on the road beyond Kışla, peering up the road towards Ulugöl.

A significant amount of rock is currently being removed - some of it by using explosives.  Whilst they do give a warning over the Belediye tannoy, you may not realise what is being said, and the noise may startle you. 

However, blasting is the exception rather than the norm.  Most of the work is done by hydraulic rock breakers.  Today, we counted 9 rock breakers, 3 diggers and assorted lorries in the area.

The stretch from the bus station to the Jandarma station appears to be excavated as far as is required, and there is hardly any noisy work going on in this area. See photo below.

Access to Kızıltaş is gained by using tracks, made of compacted soil and rocks.  There is no problem for cars.  You need to be extra careful on a scooter though, and pedestrians in particular need to take care - particularly at night. 

There is supposed to be a new service road to Kızıltaş, passing close to the Arçelik shop, near the main traffic lights, and heading towards the Samira Deluxe, but there is no sign of this yet.

Access to the Begonvil development is by another compacted soil and rock road. Similar comments to Kızıltaş, above, apply here too, regarding road users and pedestrians.

Between the Begonvil area and the Luka restaurant junction, we saw little activity yesterday and today.  See photo below.

As mentioned above, the rock breakers, diggers and lorries are mainly operating on the roadside between the Luka junction and Kömürlük.  There are signs telling you to slow down to 20kph as you go past, (that's 12 mph).  You can imagine how many vehicles were complying.

Will work on the D400 continue during the summer months?
This is a question that Kalkan Turkish Local News put to the Mayor, following the Board meeting on Tuesday.

The simple answer is, we don't know.  The Belediye hopes that any particularly noisy work will be completed before the end of May.  However, it is our understanding that the Kalkan Belediye has no legal power to prevent road works continuing.

Update 9th April:  Further to the above, we have made further enquiries, and we believe that it is probable that work will continue through the summer months, although some sources have told us that the noisy rock breaking activity is likely to taper off. 

Other roads (Updated 9th April)
Work on Iskele Sokak, the new road down to the harbour, towards the Pirat Hotel, has progressed a little.  Work here is sporadic, and there is still quite a bit to be done.

Below: A brick footpath being laid on the left side of the road.

Below: The metal railings have been removed.  This is where additional car parking will be made available.

See our earlier story on this new road: Iskele Sokak

Work on the new dual carriageway into town from the main D400 junction appears to have halted.  The photo below shows you the current state of the road.

There will be a new service road from Kalkan to Kömürlük, and on to Kışla.  We understand that this road will not be developed much in the short term, although you can see from the photo below, where the service road will be - running parallel with, and slightly below the D400.

Also, we have seen workmen building something that we think is to do with this new service road, close to the Luka restaurant junction. See photo below - bottom left.

Whatever is being built here appears to be over the watercourse that runs down towards Kalkan Bay.