The Israeli Ministry of Transportation is expected to transfer an amount of approximately 3.5 billion NIS for the benefit of comprehensive infrastructure work on Judea and Samaria roads that will include repairing defects and damage on the roads used by both Palestinians and Israelis.
Already at the base of the budget, 160 million shekels will be reserved for the upkeep of roads in Judea and Samaria, on a regular basis every year. In addition to these, necessary projects will be budgeted to maintain the safety of Israeli and Palestinian Authority drivers on all roads in the area.
The most expensive and significant project is the expansion of Route 60 from the entrance to Jerusalem at the Ze'ev-Hizma peak through Shaar Benjamin, Ofra, and Ali to the Rachel junction. The road will be widened to 3 lanes in each direction with one lane in each direction being designated as a lane for public transportation. In the budget, more than one billion shekels will be allocated to carry out the works in the first phase from Hizma to the old British Police intersection, while at the same time, the planning of the northern part of the road will also be budgeted, and after the planning, the implementation will be budgeted as part of the five-year plan for Judea and Samaria roads.
It should be noted that although the Palestinian Authority has been given both the permission and the budgeting to restore their own roads, the funds were misused, forcing Israel to carry the burden instead.
In addition, Highway 45, which is planned to be paved from the area of ββthe Kochav Ya'akov gas station to Atarot will also be budgeted to the extent of 300 million NIS. The Benjamin Regional Council says that the new Highway 45 will shorten the road from eastern Benjamin towards the 443 road, and it is in the final stages of planning when it will be ahead of construction.
The Ministry of Transport budget will include about 4 billion NIS for settler roads and infrastructure in the occupied West Bank. This is approx 25% of the entire road construction budget. Hebrew thread worth reading. https://t.co/cf7pLR0FfF
β Sarit Michaeli (@saritm0) April 19, 2023
The head of The Benjamin Regional Council, Israel Gantz, said, "I would like to thank my friends, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Transportation Minister Miri Regev. Without their involvement and knowledge of the details and the meaning of the road plans, this achievement would not have come. We are at a historic moment. The State of Israel is taking responsibility for Judea and Samaria and it is thanks to this investment that has not been seen since the establishment of communities in Judea and Samaria. I would like to thank the ministers and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The work is still ahead of us. In cooperation, we will continue the strategic development."
While the Palestinian Authority receives money from foreign soures specifically designated for roads and infrastructure, the funds are typically allocated elsewhere, including the payment of terrorists and their families.