New Lanes to Open on Road 1 This Week

Six months after the completion of new tunnels on Road 1 designed to ease congestion on the road into Yerushalayim, a third lane will be opened on a key segment of the highway. The segment, between Motza and Sha’ar Hagay, will significantly ease traffic jams and allow for faster commutes to and from Yerushalayim, officials said.

The third lane on the road going towards Tel Aviv is set to open Sunday, while the third lane for Yerushalayim-bound traffic will open at the end of the week. Officials quoted in TheMarker said that the opening of the lanes should provide a significant increase in speed, finally giving drivers a “payoff” for the years they have had to put up with ongoing construction on the road. Despite predictions to the contrary, the improvements to the road so far – including the opening of the Motza tunnels, which cut out several hundred meters of twisty road – have not significantly impacted commuting times.

Remaining in the Road 1 upgrade project is work that needs to be completed at the entrance of the city. A dedicated public transportation lane is set to be added to the highway there, and an underground exit from the highway directly onto Herzl Boulevard will significantly reduce the number of cars driving into the city on the main road, officials say.

Transport Minister Yisrael Katz said that the upgrade project “is an important national effort that will strengthen the capital and serve all residents of the country, and especially the tens of thousands of commuters to and from Yerushalayim. The project’s features especially will increase safety for drivers on the road.”