After many years in which priority has been given to the construction of new roads in the center of the country, Israel National Roads Co. Ltd. will now focus on upgrading existing roads. This is revealed in the company's new five year plan (2010-2014), which has been presented to a planners' conference. The company stresses that this is a draft that has not yet received final approval.
The plan includes completing development of roads in the Galilee, as well as upgrading roads in the Negev ahead of the construction of the IDF training base city south of Beersheva. In the center of the country, the plan focuses nearly exclusively on upgrading existing interchanges and adding new ones.
Israel National Roads Co. CEO Alex Viznitzer said that the company had spent NIS 20 million on its current five-year plan (2004-2009), and he expects a similar investment in the new five-year plan. Major projects in the plan include:
Road 2 - the Coastal Highway will be upgraded over 20 kilometers between Netanya and Givat Olga near Hadera and will have three lanes in each direction.
Road 1 - the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway will be upgraded between Sha'ar Hagai and Motza with three lanes in each direction on the 16.5 kilometer stretch. It will include upgrading existing interchanges and adding new ones. The project will provide a solution to the growing volume of traffic between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and one of the country's worst bottlenecks.
Road 38 - The 9 kilometer stretch between Beit Shemesh and Sha'ar Hagai will become a dual lane highway in each direction. It will also be divided for that entire stretch, considered a dangerous section.
Road 31 - The 45 kiolometer stretch between Lahavim and Arad will become a dual land highway in each direction and vastly improve access to the south.
Road 40 - The road will be upgraded to improve access to the IDF's new training city neat the Negev Junction south of Beersheva. Works are already underway.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 25, 2009
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