Ayalon Routes Blocked for Infrastructure Work
The Ayalon lanes will be blocked again this evening (Thursday) to avoid work on Saturday at the Moshe Dayan interchange heading north and south. Train traffic will also be halted during this period. The Movement for the Quality of Government has filed a petition to the High Court to allow weekend work to minimize weekday disruptions.
The Ayalon Routes Company has announced that 'Ayalon South will be blocked starting today at 22:00 until Friday at 19:00. To the north, the blocking will occur from Thursday at 23:30 until Friday at 17:30.' This closure is expected to cause heavy traffic congestion and significant disruptions to citizens and economic activities.
Call for Reconsideration of Work Schedule
The Movement for the Quality of Government has sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Transportation, Miri Regev, and other relevant officials, urging them to reconsider the decision to carry out essential infrastructure works during busy weekdays. The movement argues that this decision, influenced by political pressure from ultra-orthodox factions, severely harms the public.
Attorney Rotem Babli Dvir, Director of the Administrative Litigation Department at the Movement for the Quality of Government, stated, 'The administrative authority must exercise its discretion based on relevant considerations only. Decisions influenced by political pressures are invalid and harm the economy and the quality of life of citizens.'
The Movement for the Quality of Government calls for the work on the pedestrian bridge in Gush Dan to be conducted on weekends, minimizing the impact on the public and the economy. They emphasize that the government should act transparently and responsibly for the benefit of all Israeli citizens.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev continues to refuse to allow infrastructure work on Shabbat, prioritizing minimal disruption to the public. The second and final phase of the works to lift parts of a new pedestrian bridge from the Moshe Dayan station to the new 1,000 complex in Rishon Lezion will be completed. This phase will also see a shorter blockade than the previous one, starting this evening (July 4) at 10:00 PM until Friday afternoon (July 5).
In addition, train traffic will be halted throughout Friday, affecting several stations including Holon Junction, Holon Wolfson, Bat Yam Yoseftal, Bat Yam Kommiat, and Rishon Lezion Moshe Dayan. Train services will resume on Saturday night (July 6).
Vehicle traffic in Ayalon South will be diverted through the 'Moshe Dayan West Interchange' to Rehavam Zeevi Street, and similarly, traffic in Ayalon North will be diverted through the 'Moshe Dayan Mizrah Interchange.' The construction of the new pedestrian bridge, which spans 340 meters, involves complex engineering lifts using giant cranes to connect the bridge to the train station above Route 20 and the railroad.
- The Movement for the Quality of Government emphasizes that carrying out the works on weekdays, instead of on weekends as was customary in the past, constitutes a serious harm to the general public. According to the movement, this decision stems from political pressure from the ultra-orthodox factions in the government, and not from professional and practical considerations.
- The Movement for the Quality of Government calls on the Minister of Transportation and the relevant parties to re-examine the possibility of carrying out the work on the pedestrian bridge in Gush Dan during the weekends, when the harm to the public and the economy is significantly less. This, while considering only professional and factual considerations, which are relevant to the promotion of transportation projects that will help alleviate traffic congestion and serve all the residents of the State of Israel.
- Attorney Rotem Babli Dvir, Director of the Administrative Litigation Department at the Movement for the Quality of Government: 'The administrative authority is obliged to exercise its discretion in accordance with its powers, based on relevant considerations only. To the extent that the decisions of the Minister of Transportation derive from political pressures and not from professional considerations, then these are invalid decisions motivated by extraneous considerations.'
- Vehicle traffic on Sderot Hashimon, in the section between Discount Street (Route 27) and Ayalon Netiv (Route 20) will be allowed in the east direction only, and in the section between Discount Street (Route 27) and Maryland Boulevard, traffic will only be allowed in the west direction. Vehicular traffic will be allowed on Rahavam Zeevi Boulevard in the west direction only.
- At the same time, Atlit station will also be closed due to maintenance work tonight and tomorrow. The night trains on the Nahariya line will be operated in a split format: between Nahariya and Haifa, HaCarmel Beach, and between Binyamina and Nethav. The Beer Sheva center-Nahariya station will also be operated in a split format, with shuttles operating on both lines in the closed section. The Atlit line between Shan will start at Haifa Hoof HaCarmel station.
