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| כביש 1 | ||||
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 Highway 1 near Jerusalem | ||||
| Route information | ||||
Part of (Ratified byPalestine but not byIsrael) | ||||
| Length | 94 km (58 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | Tel Aviv (Kibbutz Galuyot Interchange) | |||
| Major intersections |
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| East end | Jordan Valley (Beit HaArava Junction) | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Israel | |||
| Major cities | Tel Aviv,Holon,Rishon LeZion,Yehud,Lod,Modi'in,Beit Shemesh,Mevaseret Zion,Jerusalem,Ma'ale Adummim,Jericho | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Highway 1 (Hebrew:כביש 1,Kvish Ahat;Arabic:الطريق السريع 1) is the main highway inIsrael, connectingTel Aviv andJerusalem, and continuing eastwards to theJordan Valley in theWest Bank.
The route begins asa six-lane freeway as it splits off from theAyalon Highway (Highway 20) just north of the Kibbutz Galuyot Interchange in Tel Aviv at an elevation of 16 meters above sea level travelling0.7 km due south-southeast following the course of the Ayalon Stream. It then turns southeast, continuing past the 70 meter highHiriyalandfill, intersectsHighway 4 and Route 412 and passes the Tel Aviv toll express lanes and park-and-ride facility.Israel Railways maintains tracks along themedian of the highway along this section. A separate express toll lane runs along the three westbound lanes between Ben Gurion and Kibbutz Galuyot interchanges.
The road then makes an S-curve as it passesBen Gurion International Airport and crosses north of the Ayalon Stream. Continuing south-southeast, the road intersects withHighway 40, the cutoff toRoute 443 East andHighway 6 (Trans Israel Highway) North where it narrows to four lanes and rises to an elevation of 93 meters atBen Shemen. Passing Ben Shemen, the highway descends slightly as it turns south-by-west, runningconcurrently for1.5 km with Highway 6 providing access to Highway 6 South.
Leaving the Highway 6 concurrency, the road again turns south-southeast, travelling through theAyalon Valley where it once again widens to six lanes and intersects withHighway 431 just south of Modi'in. At this point, Israel's longest bridge, part of theTel Aviv-Jerusalem High-Speed Railway, can be seen in the valley to the north. The road crosses the Ayalon Stream and ascends to 250 meters as it briefly crosses theGreen Line (the 1949 Armistice Line) for1.5 km and back again atLatrun. The road then travels briefly alongside the Ilan Stream, approachingSha'ar HaGai (The Valley Gate) at 300 meters above sea level. At the Sha'ar HaGai Interchange, an Ottomancaravanserai is visible on the south side of the highway.
Passing through Sha'ar HaGai, Highway 1 begins a pronounced ascent through theJudean Mountains at a point between the Mishlatim Ridge to the north and the Shayarot Ridge and the famousBurma Road to the south. Along this section, abandoned rusted military vehicles have been preserved along the sides of the road to commemorate the efforts of the armoured supply convoys that attempted to break through thesiege of Jerusalem during1948 Palestine war. Past Shoresh, the road reaches an elevation of 715 meters along the northern ridge of the Kisalon Valley atKiryat Ye'arim (Telz-Stone). It then descends to 610 meters as it passesAbu Gosh while crossing the Kisalon Stream at Ein Hemed, and then again ascends, reaching 680 meters as it enters theHarel Tunnels, bypassing Mount Ma'oz andCastel National Park atMevaseret Zion. At this point, the road descends to 610 meters, where it passes on the Motza bridge over the Sorek Stream and Valley, bypassing Motza.
Now within the municipal limits of Jerusalem, the road continues northeast and begins the final ascent to the city. On the northern slopes belowHar HaMenuchot, the road splits at Sha'ar Moriah Interchange, completed in 2007. Before 2007, Highway 1 continued its ascent viaBen Gurion Boulevard, negotiating three wide curves and three tight curves ending at the historic western entrance to Jerusalem at the beginning of Jaffa Road. Since that time, the road, as numbered now, descends from the interchange into the Valley of Cedars (Emek HaArazim).
In the Valley of Cedars, the road known as Jerusalem Road 9 passes through tunnels under a hill on the north side of the Sorek Stream. It then crosses the Green Line next toRamot at an elevation of 630 meters as it intersects withRoute 436 andHighway 50 (Begin Boulevard) at Yigael Yadin Interchange, becoming a four-lanedivided highway with traffic-light controlled junctions. Travelling due east, the road, also called Yigael Yadin Boulevard, passesHar Hotzvim andRamat Shlomo, ascending to its highest elevation of 815 meters as it intersects with the heavily congested Sha'ar Mizrach Junction (East Gate) atShu'afat andFrench Hill. At this point, the road crosses the tracks of theJerusalem Light Rail and intersects withHighway 60, marking the watershed of theJudean Mountains.
Passing Sha'ar Mizrah, the road is called Derech Ma'ale Adumim. The greenery typical of the western side of the watershed is replaced by the eastern side's stark mountain-desert shades of beige. The road turns southward and begins descending, passing theShu'afat refugee camp and theAl-Issawiya neighbourhood. At this point, a new road alongside and separated from Highway 1 has been built that will become a connecting route betweenRamallah andBethlehem. Passing theAt-Tur neighbourhood, the highway leaves Jerusalem at the ZeitimSecurity Checkpoint. After this point, the road is open to green (Palestinian) license plates.
Turning eastward after the checkpoint, Highway 1 descends steeply to 375 meters as it passes the Adumim Interchange withRoute 417 providing access toMa'ale Adumim,al-Eizariya andAbu Dis, joining the historic Jericho Road. The road turns east by northeast, continuing its descent, passingE1 (Jerusalem),Mishor Adumim and Route 437 at 250 meters. Levelling out for the next5 km and occasionally rising in elevation, the road passes the Nahal Og Nature Reserve (Wadi Mukhalik), intersects with theAllon Road (Route 458) and the famousKhan Al-Ahmar, a caravanserai associated with the New Testament story of theGood Samaritan.
Descending again, the road briefly turns due south as it passesMitzpe Yeriho. Turning southeast, though travellers can stop at a scenic overlook at Sea Level (0 meters), the view of the Jordan Valley at this precise point is mostly obstructed because of the surrounding mountains. The attraction for tourists is to be photographed in front of the sea level sign and, for a price, sitting atop a colourfully decorated camel.[1] The road then turns eastward and descends below sea level passing the entrance road toNabi Musa, a pilgrimage site where Muslims believeMoses is buried. At 230 meters below sea level, the road passes Jericho Junction, providing access toVered Yeriho andJericho. PassingBeit HaArava, Highway 1 ends at Beit HaArava Junction withHighway 90 at an elevation of 325 meters below sea level.
The section betweenLatrun and Jerusalem roughly followsan ancient path connecting Jaffa and Jerusalem. At the entrance to Jerusalem, the steep and winding rise was known asMa'aleh HaRoma'im (Romans' Ascent), covering a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) path rising 200 metres (660 ft) in altitude.[2] The Jaffa–Jerusalem road was initially made accessible for wheeled vehicles by theOttomans in 1867[3] and since then served as the main highway to Jerusalem, favoured over moretopographically convenient routes such asRoute 443. The largest bell for the church of theAugusta Victoria complex, built between 1907 and 1910, weighed sixtonnes and required that the road be widened and paved.[4]
In 1948, the Latrun section of the highway was taken over byJordan, and traffic was diverted to a new route called "Derekh Ha'Gvura" (Road of Bravery), which is now part of Highways 44 and 38. In 1965, the old highway was widened to four lanes betweenSha'ar HaGai and Jerusalem. After theSix-Day War, the Latrun section was reopened, and an interchange was built atMevaseret Zion(Harel Interchange). During the 1970s, a bypass was built around the village ofAbu Ghosh, including the construction ofHemed Interchange.
In 1978, a new section opened, connecting former Road 10 (the Tel Aviv – Ben Gurion Airport road) with Sha'ar HaGai. The new section formed the thirdfreeway in the country, after Highways2 and4. Although it is about10 km longer than the old road (now Highway 44 and Route 424), it is much faster. One of the first passengers on this section wasEgyptian PresidentAnwar Sadat during his historic visit to Israel in 1977. This section briefly crosses over theGreen Line nearLatrun.
The section betweenGanot Interchange andBen Shemen Interchange was widened to six lanes in 1998. During the construction ofHighway 6 (1999–2003), the Ben Shemen Interchange was rebuilt, and a new interchange was built near the village ofKfar Daniel. The Daniel Interchange is a11⁄2 km straight, eight-lane segment where Highways 1 and 6 runconcurrently, providing 1-west to 6-north and 1-east to 6-south high-speed interchange.
Anava Interchange opened on February 4, 2009, together with the eastern section ofRoute 431.[5] It is a complex interchange and the first complete freeway to freeway interchange in the country, connecting all eight directions between the two freeways without the use of traffic lights.
To relieve congestion at the entrance to Tel Aviv, ahigh-occupancy toll lane was built as aBuild-Operate-Transfer project. The project included additional lanes between Ben Gurion Airport and Kibutz Galuyot Interchange and a largepark and ride facility east of Shapirim Interchange.[6] Shapir Engineering started the construction of the park-and-ride facility in August 2007, and the project was completed in 2010.
Just as Jerusalem Road 9 provided traffic relief to motorists headed to northern and eastern Jerusalem by bypassing the main western entrance to the city,Highway 16 created another entrance to Jerusalem and provide direct access to central and southern Jerusalem from the west. The road connects Highway 1 at the new Motza Interchange to Jerusalem'sHighway 50 (Begin Boulevard) at Givat Mordechai Interchange. The road travels mostly through a series of tunnels under the west Jerusalem neighbourhoods ofHar Nof andYefeh Nof and the parking lots ofShaare Zedek Medical Center with an intermediate Nahal Revida Interchange leading to Givat Shaul. The road opened in 2022.[7] The plan had to pass stiff resistance on ecological grounds due to the above ground section at Nahal Revida located in theJerusalem Forest.[8] After many delays, the contract for construction was finally awarded in August 2018, and it was completed in 2022.[7]
Motza interchange opened in 1990, and the Sha'ar HaGai Interchange opened in 1995. In 1998, the eastbound left turn toAbu Ghosh,Ma'ale HaHamisha andKiryat Anavim was closed. Finally, in 2002,Shoresh Interchange opened, eliminating the last left turn on the highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. At this point, the Sha'ar HaGai–Jerusalem section was fullygrade separated. However, the road did not meet freeway standards due to narrow shoulders, dangerous turns and difficult slopes, and the speed limit on this section was80 km/h.
Upgrading this section with additional lanes and gentler curves was approved by the Committee on National Projects after many years of opposition from ecological groups and local governmental authorities. Also, according to this plan, the uni-directional Kiryat Ye'arim Interchange was rebuilt to allow access to eastbound traffic, a tunnel was built under the Castel Mountain (HarEl) with more efficient entry and exit ramps and a long bridge was built to straighten the dangerous Motza curve. The soil extracted from the tunnel was used to widen the Shoresh–Sha'ar HaGai section, raising the road by five meters to straighten the curves and widen the road from four to six lanes with wider shoulders.[9][10]
Opposition on ecological grounds to the Sha'ar HaGai-Shoresh section that passes through a sensitive nature reserve has been addressed by the inclusion of a 70-meter wideeco-bridge as part of the plan.[11] Additionally, the quality of life issues raised by the leaders of the nearby communities were all rejected.
By February 2012, theNational Roads Authority publishedrequests for tender (invitation for bids) for the Sha'ar HaGai-Shoresh section and the HarEl Tunnel to be implemented asdesign–build projects.[12][13] By January 2014 extensive infrastructure works were taking place along the entire project's route. They were completed in late 2017 at a total cost of approximately NIS 2.5 billion.
The British first built the section of the highway east of Jerusalem in the 1920s along the path of an ancient road to the Dead Sea. This section was under Jordanian control between 1948 and 1967 and renewed access to this road, which is known as the "Jericho Road" (Hebrew:דרך יריחו) or theAdummim Ascent (Hebrew:מעלה אדומים), was famously noted alongside thereunification of Jerusalem in the famous Israeli song,Jerusalem of Gold.
In the late 1980s, a new road was built north of Jericho Road, betweenFrench Hill neighbourhood in northern Jerusalem and the town ofMa'ale Adummim. This section was improved by 1995 when it was widened, and a new interchange was built at Ma'ale Adummim. A bypass of this section, designed to relieve congestion at Sha'ar Mizrah Junction, opened in 2002, connecting the highway through two 2-lane tunnels underMount Scopus towards theHebrew University,Bar-Ilan Street and central Jerusalem. As part of this project, the new HaZeitim interchange was built at the foot of theMount of Olives.
The section between Ma'ale Adummim and Jericho was widened to four lanes in the early 2010s.
The sections west and east of Jerusalem are linked by anexpressway segment running north of thecity centre. Known internally asYigael Yadin road or 'Jerusalem Road 9', the stretch hasdivided lanes but includes severalat-grade intersections alongside itsinterchanges.
In 2001Moriah, the Jerusalem Development Company started building abypass of the city's oft-congested western entrance, designated as 'Jerusalem Road 9'. Before it was built, travellers from the west of Jerusalem who wished to reach the Dead Sea, or vice versa, had no better option than to drive through congested city streets. The road was intended to improve traffic flow in Ramot and nearby neighbourhoods.
The3.6 km road descends from the purpose-built Sha'ar Moriah Interchange to allow continuousseparate grade access to Yigael Yadin Interchange and the northern and eastern continuation of Highway 1. Passing through Emek HaArazim (Valley of Cedars), it includes two 400-meter tunnels (one for eastbound traffic and one for westbound), four bridges over theSorek stream and two new interchanges.
While the highway was scheduled for completion in early 2005, work was slowed to a near halt between 2003 and 2006, and completion was postponed for over two years.[14] The opening, planned for May 21, 2007, was postponed another two months due to Moriah's failure to complete the requiredenvironmental mitigation.[15] Permission to open the road was granted on condition that the company and Jerusalem municipality guarantee completion of environmental mitigation after the opening.[16] Road 9 opened on July 25, 2007 and constitutes part of Highway 1.
In October, 2014, Jerusalem Road 9 was officially renamed "Yitzhak Shamir Road" after Israel's 7thPrime Minister.[17]
Israel Railways has built anew high-speed rail line between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. This line crosses the highway at three points: over aviaduct east ofBen Gurion Airport, in a tunnel at Anava Interchange and another tunnel at the western entrance to Jerusalem.
In late 2021, construction began on a new interchange that will provide additional access to Ben Gurion Airport from Highway 1. It will significantly reduce the distance vehicles must travel to access the airport's main terminal from the direction of Tel Aviv and other points north and west of the airport.
A plan to add lanes and reconfigure the highway between Tel Aviv and the Shapirim interchange will be carried out as part of the four-tracking project of the Tel Aviv-Lod railway expected to take place in the mid-2020s decade.
An interchange at Ramat Shlomo is currently under construction. Once completed, it will replace the current signalized intersection. It is also designed to provide an additional route to the Har Hotzvim High-Tech area. Moriya is also planning to build a1.5 km tunnel at Sha'ar Mizrah Junction. This tunnel will allow east-west traffic to bypass the current signalized intersections and provide direct access to Jerusalem's northeastern neighbourhoods. Once these two projects are completed, there will be only one at-grade intersection left along the highway between Tel Aviv and Adummim, atIsawiya.[18]
| District[19] | Location[20] | km | mi | Name | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv | HaTikva | 0 | 0.0 | מחלף קיבוץ גלויות (Kibutz Galuyot Interchange) | ||
| Central | Ganot | 4.5 | 2.8 | מחלף גנות (Ganot Interchange) |  Highway 4 | |
| Beit Dagan | 6.6 | 4.1 | מחלף שפירים (Shapirim Interchange) |  Route 412 | Named after nearby Shapirim Stream | |
| Kfar Habad | 8.1 | 5.0 | כניסה לחניון חנה וסע (Entrance topark and ride facility) | Entrance road | High-occupancy toll lane | |
| Ben Gurion International Airport | 13 | 8.1 | מחלף בן גוריון (Ben Gurion Interchange) |  Road 4503 | Named after airport | |
| Lod | 14.8 | 9.2 | מחלף לוד (Lod Interchange) |  Highway 40 | ||
| Ben Shemen | 18.8 | 11.7 | מחלף בן שמן (Ben Shemen Interchange) | |||
| Kfar Daniel | 20.1 | 12.5 | מחלף דניאל (Daniel Interchange) |  Highway 6 | ||
| Kfar Shmuel | 25.4 | 15.8 | מחלף ענבה (Anava Interchange) |  Route 431 | ||
| Green Line | ||||||
| Judea and Samaria | Latrun | 34.4 | 21.4 | מחלף לטרון (Latrun Interchange) |  Highway 3 | |
| Green Line | ||||||
| Jerusalem | Sha'ar HaGai | 38.6 | 24.0 | מחלף שער הגיא (Sha'ar HaGai Interchange) |  Highway 38 | |
| Shoresh | 45.5 | 28.3 | מחלף שורש (Shoresh Interchange) |  Road 3955 | ||
| Neve Ilan | 46.9 | 29.1 | מחלף נווה אילן (Neve Ilan Interchange) |  Route 425 | ||
| Kiryat Anavim | 50.2 | 31.2 | מחלף חמד (Hemed Interchange) |  Road 3975 | ||
| Mevaseret Zion | 52.2 | 32.4 | מחלף הראל (Har'el Interchange) |  Road 3965Harel Street | ||
| 52.2 | 32.4 | מנהרות הראל (Har'el Tunnels) – 2×3 lanes | 800 meters | |||
| Motza | 54.7 | 34.0 | מחלף מוצא (Motza Interchange) | Sorek Street Highway 16 | ||
| Har HaMenuchot | 56 | 35 | מחלף שער מוריה (Moriah Gate Interchange) |  Route 333 | ||
| Emek HaArazim | 57.6 | 35.8 | מנהרות שורק (Sorek Tunnels) – 2×2 lanes | 400 metres | ||
| Ramot neighborhood | 58.6 | 36.4 | מחלף יגאל ידין (Yigael Yadin Interchange) |  Route 436 Highway 50 | Named afterYigael Yadin | |
| Green Line | ||||||
| Jerusalem | Ramat Shlomo | 60.5 | 37.6 | צומת רמת שלמה (Ramat Shlomo Junction) | Rabbi Druck Street | |
| French Hill Shuafat | 62.4 | 38.8 | מחלף שער מזרח (East Gate Interchange) |  Highway 60 | ||
| Shuafat Refugee Camp | 62.8 | 39.0 | צומת שדרות משה דיין (Moshe Dayan Boulevard Junction) | Moshe Dayan Blvd. | ||
| At-Tur | 66.4 | 41.3 | מחלף הזיתים (HaZeitim Interchange) | El-Hardub Street Har HaTzofim | ||
ZeitimSecurity Checkpoint NO westbound through-traffic for green (Palestinian Authority) license plates | ||||||
| Judea and Samaria | Ma'ale Adumim | 72.3 | 44.9 | מחלף אדומים (Adumim Junction) |  Route 417 | |
| Mishor Adumim | 74.7 | 46.4 | צומת מישור אדומים (Mishor Adumim Junction) |  Route 437HaHevra HaCalcalit Blvd. | ||
| Kfar Adumim | 77.3 | 48.0 | צומת כפר אדומים (Kfar Adumim Junction) |  Route 458 | ||
| Khan Al-Ahmar | 78.6 | 48.8 | מחלף השומרוני הטוב (The Good Samaritan Interchange) | Entrance road | ||
| Mitzpe Yeriho | 82.2 | 51.1 | צומת מצפה יריחו (Mitzpe Yeriho Junction) |  Road 4581 | ||
| Nabi Musa | 87.5 | 54.4 | צומת נבי מוסא (Nabi Musa Junction) | Local road | ||
| Almog | 90 | 56 | צומת אלמוג (Almog Junction) |  Road 4570 | ||
| Beit HaArava | 92 | 57 | צומת בית הערבה (Beit HaArava Junction) |  Road 4376 | ||
| 94 | 58 |  Highway 90 | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
28.5 km of highway 1 had been declared as ared road by the Israeli police in 2015.[21]
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31°48′38″N35°02′45″E / 31.81056°N 35.04583°E /31.81056; 35.04583
