The French Hill tunnels project in Jerusalem is set to complete by next year. It is a transportation infrastructure project in northern Jerusalem that includes highway systems and underground tunnels. Because of the project, by 2024 traffic congestion to and from the capital’s northern neighborhoods will be reduced.
The project, which cost NIS 1.2 billion ($340 million), features four tunnel systems that span about 3.5 km. It is beneath the French Hill, Kevarim, and Coca-Cola junctions, one of the busiest in the city. Between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, there will be two two-lane tunnels running east to west. Additionally, there will be two one-lane tunnels running from Ramot to Pisgat Ze’ev and Neve Ya’akov and back.
The Transportation Ministry, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the contractor Moriah Jerusalem Development Company are working together on the project. Work on the French Hill tunnels project in Jerusalem is expected to be finished in two years. In recent days, construction teams moving 35 meters (115 feet) below ground made a significant advancement, according to reports from early in July.
The French Hill tunnels project in Jerusalem will ease congestion between the city and Tel Aviv
When finished, it will provide an immediate connection to Highway 9, then Highway 1, which leads to Tel Aviv. Benny Kasriel, the mayor of Ma’ale Adumin, stated that the project would let motorists bypass all traffic lights on their journey between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Additionally, travel times between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim and the Dead Sea will be shortened thanks to the new infrastructure.
Over the course of the last two years, 100 workers and ten engineers have helped to develop the tunnel. The municipality views the project as crucial to Jerusalem’s future, despite some environmentalists’ concerns.
However, the tunnels in the northeast are a part of a bigger plan to alter traffic in Jerusalem and how people move through and around the city. The tunnels will link the northern neighborhoods with the rest of the city at French Hill Junction. At the junction, they will connect to the light rail. Despite the fact that there is currently no sign of a delay, there is still a lot of work to be done, including providing cell phone reception throughout the entire network of tunnels.
