New Eye Test for Drivers in Israel and Tender Published for Development of Route 85 in Northern Israel

New Eye  Test for Drivers

A new regulation in Israel came into force this week which requires all drivers over the age of 40 to have a vision test before renewing their driving licence. IsraelTransport reported on the requirement in September 2011.


Tender Published for Development of Route 85 in Northern Israel


The Transport Ministry and the National Roads Authority has this week published a tender for the development of Route 85 in Northern Israel designed to improve connections across the Gaililee and Central Israel.

The estimated cost of the project is Five Hundred Million Shekels.

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.