YERUSHALAYIM – A contractor has been chosen for the construction of a new entrance into Yerushalayim. Road 16, to be named in honor of Hagaon Harav Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, will be built as part of a private-public partnership between contracting firm Shafir and Italian construction firm Pizzaroti. The tender will see the builders of the road operating it for 25 years, and under the terms of the tender, they will be able to collect a toll.

Construction of the road is expected to begin next year, and is set to be completed by 2023. The five-kilometer project will allow traffic to flow directly from the Tel Aviv-Yerushalayim Road (Road 1) directly to Yerushalayim’s southern neighborhoods, including Malcha and Gilo. The road will begin in the Motza area and include two tunnels, running underneath the Har Nof and Yefe Nof neighborhoods. The road is expected to ease traffic into the main entrance of Yerushalayim, and relieve traffic on Sderot Herzl and other main arteries at the western edge of the city.

Transport Minister Yisrael Katz said that the road was “a very important project from a national perspective. It will significantly reduce traffic at the entrance of Yerushalayim, saving drivers hours of time and reducing pollution in the city.” Katz added that he intended to personally ensure that the project will be completed as soon as possible.

Source: Hamodia