Work begins this week on new entryway into Jerusalem

Road 16, to be completed in 2023, will use tunnels to cut from Motza to capital’s southern neighborhoods, freeing up congestion at the main entrance to the city

Work begins this week on a new road into Jerusalem touted as one that will “free up the bottleneck” of traffic at the main entrance to the city and significantly mitigate congestion.

Dubbed Road 16, the new thoroughfare will branch out from the main Route 1 near the Motza bridge and cut through the mountain via tunnel, emerging in the city’s Bayit VeGan neighborhood. The road will thus provide a quick connection to the city’s southern parts as well as the Begin expressway the cuts through the city.

Planners say the new road could shorten trips by as much as 20 minutes during rush hours.

Work is expected to conclude in November 2023.

“Within a few years it will be possible to enter and exit Jerusalem without passing through the main entrance to Jerusalem,” Transportation Minister Israel Katz told Channel 12 news. “This road is a central route that will allow arrival via tunnel into Jerusalem and to Begin Boulevard, and will free up the bottleneck at the entrance to Jerusalem.”