Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the severe safety problems that will result from the road works to widen Road 1, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway. This problem has never been thoroughly discussed and no solutions have been proposed on the eve of the project, which is expected to cause severe traffic disruption. Transportation sources are already calling the planned roadworks, "The siege of Jerusalem."
Work on the NIS 2.5 billion project will begin later this year, and is due to take four years. The stretch of road from the Shaar Hagai mountain pass to the western entrance of the capital will be straightened and widened to three lanes in each direction, as well as the construction of new tunnels, interchanges, and other improvements. Use of the right lane in either direction will become problematic and restricted during the road works and the shoulders will be closed.
Although the government expects some of the traffic to switch to Road 443, this road involves security problems as it passes through the West Bank, and cannot handle the influx of "refugees" from Road 1.
There are several options to ease the pending traffic chaos:
Change driving patterns. Double the capacity of the park-and-ride lot at Shapirim Interchange on Road 1 by adding a 1,000-space upper level, and offer partly or fully subsidized shuttle buses to and from Jerusalem. Such a parking garage could be built in six months.
It is also possible to greatly reduce bus fares to Jerusalem during the construction period.
Reduce disruptions on Road 443 by temporarily cancelling left turns at the Ben Shemen, Mevo Modi'in, and the Adam compound. It is possible to give priority at traffic lights in Modi'in to traffic between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem at the expense of locals, and to upgrade the IDF roadblocks at the entrance to the West Bank to speed up traffic flow.
Add capacity to Road 443 by temporarily using the road's shoulders as an extra lane, as an emergency measure, to widen the road to three lanes. This can be done simply by repainting the lane and shoulder markings. The added safety hazard can be ameliorated by lowering the speed limit to 70-80 km/h, which, statistically, can maximize the road's vehicle per kilometer capacity.
The project's biggest mistake is the order of construction of the sections. Instead of beginning on the section between Shaar Hagai and Shoresh, where most of the problems will occur, work could have started on the other two sections, which are less disruptive to traffic: the tunnel beneath the Kastel and the huge overpass that will replace the Motza "death" curve. This would have given planners extra time to come up with solutions to the project's traffic problems.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 21, 2012
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