Following the success of the first two suspension bridges over the Bosphorus, a third crossing was planned to the north of Istanbul to alleviate congestion. Bill Brown, who designed and supervised construction on Bosphorus I and Bosphorus II (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge), would have been delighted that Michel Virlogeux would lead the design of the new bridge with Jean-François Klein.

They designed a cable-stayed suspension bridge, that has two main cables and the cable stays. It has a 1,408m-long main span and 330m high towers. It is part of the Northern Marmara Motorway Project and carries eight traffic lanes and two rail lines on the same level, requiring a 58m-wide deck.