The Tel Aviv municipality has begun preparing for the “messy phase” of the Tel Aviv light rail Red Line works.
Sources inform “Globes” that the city is planning to launch a broad PR campaign a month before the works begin, after it becomes clear that they will not be delayed again. The city is currently working to identify residents and business owners who are liable to be harmed by the works.
Municipality sources said, “There is no avoiding it. It’s not reasonable to expect that works such as demolishing the Carlebach bridge will happen without a significant adverse effect on traffic.”
The construction of five underground stations in Tel Aviv will commence between August and September: Carlebach, Shaul Hamelech, Allenby, Arlozorov, and Yehudit. The first stage of construction will include the excavation of the areas where the future stations will be built.
The works are expected to continue until 2021, and while they are underway, traffic throughout the city will be affected. The project site where worst traffic disruption is expected is the Carlebach station project, during construction of which traffic will be redirected from Begin Road, Carlebach, Hamasger, Lincoln, Hataasiya, Hamelacha, Yitzhak Sadeh, and Rival streets.
Begin Road will be closed to traffic in the Carlebach junction area, the Ma’ariv bridge will be demolished, to be replaced by an underpass. Public transport will be adjusted according to the anticipated new traffic arrangements resulting from the works, and will be redirected to Hamasger and Hahashmonaim streets. Dedicated public transport lanes will be opened on these streets. The direction of traffic will be reversed on Hataasiya and Hamelacha streets.
The Allenby station works will cause traffic changes on Yehuda Halevy, Mikve Israel, Bezalel Yaffe, Yavne, Shadal and Ramhal streets.
Yehuda Halevy Street will be closed to traffic. Traffic will be redirected to Mikveh Israel Street, and the direction of traffic on the street will be reversed. Bezalel Yaffe Street will be connected to Harakevet Street, and access to Shadal and Yavne streets will be only from Rothschild Boulevard.
The works for the construction of the Yehudit and Shaul Hamelech stations include reducing the number of lanes on Begin Road between Hashmonaim and Shaul Hamelech, intermittent closure of Yehudit street, and the left turn onto Mozes Bridge will be closed.
The Red Line, which will be 24 kilometers long, will pass through the cities of Petach Tikva, Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, and Bat Yam. 13 of the 24 kilometers will be on street level, and 11 will be underground. Of the 34 stations along the route, 10 will be underground, of which two will be in Ramat Gan, and two in Bnei Brak, along Jabotinsky street. The tenth station will be in the Em Hamoshavot area of Petach Tikva.
The underground portion will be excavated using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). The underground stations will be excavated using the cut and cover method. The preparatory works in the areas of the underground stations will begin in April, and will include the diversion of infrastructure and changes to traffic in preparation for the construction of the stations. The construction of the stations will begin in June, and will continue until 2021.
The construction of the underground stations will cause traffic changes on Begin, Yehuda Halevy, and Jabotinsky streets, and on nearby streets. Lanes will be closed on a number of road along the route, roads and exits will be blocked, or will be reserved only for public transport.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 16, 2015
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