The National Planning and Construction Committee has approved segment 7 of Road 6, the Cross-Israel Highway. The plan will now be submitted for its comments from the Regional Committee and public opposition.
The proposed 8.5 kilometer stretch will run from En Tut interchange near Yokne'am to the Bet Kashish Interchange in the Carmel foothills and will include a double tunnel of 1.7 kilometers, one of the longest tunnels in the country.
The tunnels are designed to reduce the damage to the environment and landscape. Nevertheless, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) said that the plan will "deal a lethal blow to the environment and nature in Israel." The proposed route will take the new road through the Yokne'am Forest.
SPNI also fiercely opposes the plan to extend the road further north from the Bet Kashish Interchange via an eastern fork adjacent to roads 722 and 77, and a western fork towards the Soekh Junction.
Derekh Eretz Israel Highways Ltd. said that that if all the statutory and budgetary approvals are received then work on segment 7 could begin before the end of 2010.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 5, 2010
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