Highway 1 to be widened into Jerusalem and Israair to begin flights to Jordan

Highway 1 to be widened into Jerusalem

Israel's Internal Affairs Cabinet Committee yesterday approved a 2.5 billion Shekel proposal by the Transport Minister, Israel Katz to upgrade the Jerusalem to Tel Aviv Highway 1.  The proposal will see Highway 1 extended to 3 lanes each-way between Shaar Hagai and Jerusalem.  The road widening will also see new tunnels and bridges to make the drive straighter, smoother and quicker.  The project is due to be completed by 2016 and will reduce the journey time between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to half an hour.

However, there is opposition to the road expansion according to the Jerusalem Post from environmental groups and local municipalities including Mevasseret Zion, Bet Shemesh, Har Adar and Abu Ghosh as the changes to the layout of the highway could affect the environment and residents' quality of life.


Israair to begin flights to Jordan


Israir Airlines is to begin operating two flights a week between Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel and the Amman Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan following permission from Israel Katz, Minister of Transport in Israel.  

Jerusalem's Begin Highway to be extended, Proposed Northern Israel Rail Line and Aviation Legislation passes another stage in the Knesset

Jerusalem's Begin Highway to be extended to Gilo


The Begin Highway, one of Jerusalem's main traffic arterial roads is to be extended from the Golomb Street, via Malha Train Station to Gilo.  The Jerusalem Municipality is publishing tenders to find companies to carry out the work to extend the highway.

The project will be overseen by Moriah Jerusalem Development Company who have published the tender documents on their website.  The Jerusalem Municipality are also planning to widen the Begin Highway between Golomb Street and Kiryat Moshe, so that the entire road from Road 443 in northern Jerusalem to Malha in souther Jerusalem will have three lanes in both directions.

Proposed Northern Israel Rail Line

Israel's Transport Ministry has started the tender process for a new railway line along the route of the old Hejaz railway between Haifa and Jordan built during the Turkish Empire.  The Transport Ministry have published the tender for the first section of the line between Haifa and Afula, and it is expected the line will extend to Beit Shean.

The plan is for the proposed railway (pictured above) to start operating by 2016.

Aviation Legislation

A piece of Government legislation to improve aviation safety in Israel passed another stage in the Knesset this week, when it was approved by the Economics Committee.  The legislation being brought by the Transport Minister, Israel Katz, can now go for a 2nd and 3rd reading.  The new law the first of it's kind in the State of Israel is being introduced following criticism by the International Air Transport Association in January and the downgrading by the US Aviation Administration.