Istanbul, Oct 17 (IANS): Sea traffic in the Bosphorus Strait, one of the busiest waterways in the world, was suspended due to heavy fog, authorities said.

According to a statement from Turkey's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry on Wednesday, ship traffic in the strait has been suspended in both directions due to "limited visibility" caused by heavy thick fog, Xinhua news agency reported.

In another statement from City Lines, which operates ferries commuting across the strait between the Asian and European sides, it was announced that many services have been suspended due to "adverse weather conditions".

Visibility has deteriorated significantly in some places, especially on bridges across the Bosphorus, leading to traffic congestion and an increased risk of accidents.

Local authorities urged drivers to be extremely cautious.

According to updated information from the country's Ministry of Transport, "the movement of ships, which was temporarily suspended, has resumed."

The suspensions also caused a significant increase on the roads, resulting in traffic congestion across the city of 16 million people.

Traffic density was recorded at nearly 70 per cent in the morning rush hours, according to the municipality's traffic application.

Connecting the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea, the 30-km-long Bosphorus Strait is one of the busiest waterways in the world.