Highway 6 (Israel)

Kvish Shesh
כביש חוצה ישראל
Kvish Ḥotze Yisra'el
כביש יצחק רבין
Kvish Yitzḥak Rabin
Cross Israel Highway
Yitzhak Rabin Highway
Route information
Length: 140 km (90 mi)
Major junctions
South end: Ma'ahaz (Ma'ahaz Interchange)
 
North end: Ein Tut Interchange (Milek stream)
Location
Major cities: Be'er Sheva, Kiryat Gat, Ramla, Petah Tikva, Rosh HaAyin, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Hadera, Yokne'am, Haifa,
Highway system

Roads in Israel

Highways
The Israeli toll road symbol featuring the Sheqel symbol from the Israeli new sheqel
Headquarters and control centre near Rosh HaAyin
Highway near Horshim Interchange

Highway 6 (Hebrew: כביש 6‎, Kvish Shesh), also known as the Trans-Israel Highway or Cross-Israel Highway (Hebrew: כביש חוצה ישראל‎, Kvish Ḥotzeh Yisra'el), is a major electronic toll highway in Israel.[1] Highway 6 is the first Israeli Build-Operate-Transfer road constructed, carried out mainly by the private sector in return for a license to collect tolls on the highway for a given number of years. It is also one of the largest infrastructure projects undertaken in Israel.

History

The highway was officially dedicated as the Yitzhak Rabin Highway (Hebrew: כביש יצחק רבין‎, Kvish Yitzḥak Rabin), though this name is not commonly used. It started operating in the early 2000s and is being lengthened as construction proceeds on newer sections. The northern terminus was extended to the Ein Tut Interchange on July 20, 2009 where the highway now merges into Highway 70 heading northwards.

Goals

The aim of the Highway is to provide an efficient north-south transportation corridor in the country while allowing drivers to bypass the traffic-congested Tel Aviv region, located in the center of the country. Thus it is the Eastern-most major highway in Israel, in some places located almost right on the Green Line. Currently the highway is 140 km long, all of which is a freeway. This figure will grow in the next few years as additional segments are extended both northward and southward from the existing section of the road. As of 2013 some segments were under construction while others were undergoing statutory approvals and permitting processes.

Characteristics and pricing

Highway 6 uses a system of cameras and transponders to toll vehicles automatically. There are no toll booths, allowing it to operate as a normal freeway with interchanges. A radio antenna detects when a vehicle with a transponder has entered and exited the highway, calculating the toll rate. For vehicles without a transponder, an automatic license plate recognition system is used. Monthly statements are mailed to users. Highway 6 is based on the technology of the Highway 407 in Ontario, Canada developed by Raytheon.

The pricing scheme is based on the number of segments a driver passes in a given trip. Each segment is the road span between two interchanges. As of April 2010, the pricing for up to 3 segments was 17.79 NIS, 21.39 for 4 segments, and 24.99 for 5 or more segments. Additional fee is paid when driving through the "northern" segment, the cost of which is additional 4.67. Pricing for motorcycles and heavy vehicles such as trucks is different.

The price above is for drivers who register with Highway 6's operator and install the in-vehicle transponder unit (called a "Passkal", lit. "easy-pass") to record their highway usage. When a vehicle does not have a transponder, its license plate is scanned and the vehicle identified. Drivers who pre-register their license plate with the operator and establish a direct billing relationship receive a discounted rate (though they pay more than those who have installed a "Passkal"). If a license plate is not located in Highway 6's database, the bill is sent to the owner of the vehicle according to the car registration with the Israeli Ministry of Transportation. Such a vehicle pays the highest rate.

The licensed road operator, Derech Eretz, operates a fleet of service vehicles that patrol the entire length of the highway and assist drivers in need. Since it is technically a private road, the road operator is required to pay the Israel police for traffic enforcement.

Financial statistics

In March 2006, Derech Eretz reported a profit of 89 million NIS for 2005, an increase of 56% from 2004, on income of 779 million NIS, an increase of 137% from 2004.

At the end of 2005:

Interchanges

The highway's kilometer count starts at 66, since it includes the planned southern extensions.

km Name Type Meaning Location Road(s) Crossed
planned
0 צומת הנגב
(HaNegev Junction)		 Named after Negev Desert Ir HaBahadim (u.c.) Highway 40
Route 224
19 מחלף נבטים
(Nevatim Interchange)		 Named after location Nevatim Highway 25
under construction
30 מחלף שוקת
(Shoket Interchange)		 Water Trough Tel Shoket Highway 31
Highway 60
40 מחלף להבים
(Lehavim Interchange)		 Flames Lehavim Route 310
55.5 מחלף קמה
(Kama Interchange)		 Cereal Grain Beit Kama Highway 40
Route 293
66 מחלף מאחז
(Ma'ahaz Interchange)		 Named after nearby
Ma'ahaz Stream		 Beit Kama Highway 40
(southbound)
76 מחלף קרית גת
(Kiryat Gat Interchange)		 Named after location Kiryat Gat Highway 35
100 מחלף שורק
(Sorek Interchange)		 Named after nearby
Brook of Sorek		 Yad Binyamin Highway 3
Highway 7
(westbound)
planned
106 מחלף חולדה
(Hulda Interchange)		 Named after location Hulda Route 411
111 Petrol and rest area Na'an both directions
114 מחלף נשרים
(Nesharim Interchange)		 Named after nearby
Nesher Factory		 Ramla Highway 431
Highway 44
Route 424
118 מחלף דניאל
(Daniel Interchange)		 Named after location Kfar Daniel Highway 1
(westbound)
122 מחלף בן שמן
(Ben Shemen Interchange)		 Named after location Ben Shemen Highway 1
(eastbound)
Route 443
Route 444
123 tunnels
4 lanes - 450 metres		 Tel Hadid
123 bridge
2 lanes - 300 metres		 Tel Hadid
124 bridge
2 lanes - 170 metres		 Beit Nehemiah
planned
133 מחלף גבעת כ"ח
(Giv'at Koah Interchange)		 Named after location Giv'at Koah Route 444
Route 461
137 מחלף נחשונים
(Nahshonim Interchange)		 Named after location Nahshonim Route 471
142 מחלף קסם
(Kessem Interchange)		 Named after nearby
Kafr Qasim		 Rosh HaAyin Highway 5
Route 444
145 מחלף חורשים
(Horshim Interchange)		 Named after location Horshim Route 531
(westbound)
Road 5233
153 מחלף אייל
(Eyal Interchange)		 Named after location Eyal Route 551
166 מחלף ניצני עוז
(Nitzanei Oz Interchange)		 Named after location Nitzanei Oz Highway 57
(westbound)
174 Petrol and rest area Lehavot Haviva both directions
177 מחלף באקה
(Baqa Interchange)		 Named after location Baqa al-Gharbiyye Highway 61
(westbound)
186 מחלף עירון
(Iron Interchange)		 Named after nearby
Iron Stream		 Barkai Highway 65
194.5 tunnels
2 lanes - 350 metres		 Giv'at Nili
200 מחלף עין תות
(Ein Tut Interchange)		 Named after nearby
Nahal Tut		 Elyakim Highway 70
under construction
202.5 מחלף אליקים
(Elyakim Interchange)		 ult. Jehoiakim Elyakim
Highway 70
206 tunnels
4 lanes, 310 metres		 Yokneam Illit
209 מחלף תל קשיש
(Tel Qashish Interchange)		 Named after location Tel Qashish Highway 70
Highway 77
216.5 מחלף העמקים
(HaAmakim Interchange)		 Valleys Sha'ar HaAmakim
Kiryat Tiv'on		 Highway 75
219.5 tunnels
4 lanes, 2,000 meters		 Rekhasim
220.5 tunnels
4 lanes, 400 meters		 Ibtin
221 מחלף איבטין
(Ibtin Interchange)		 Named after location Ibtin Route 762
222 מחלף זבולון
(Zvulun Interchange)		 ult. Tribe of Zebulun Khawaled Highway 70
227 מחלף סומך
(Somech Interchange)		 ult. Semikhah[2] Kiriat Ata Highway 79
planned
228 מחלף אבליים
(Avlayim Interchange)		 Named after location Shfar'am
I'billin		 Route 781
240 מחלף יאסיף-אחיהוד
(Yasif-Ahihud Interchange)		 Named after location Kafr Yasif
Ahihud		 Highway 85
252 מחלף כברי
(Kabri Interchange)		 Named after nearby Kabri Highway 89
260 מחלף שלומי
(Shlomi Interchange)		 ult. Shelomi, father of Ahihud Shlomi
Betzet		 Route 899

References

  1. ↑ No such thing as a highway to nowhere, Haaretz
  2. ↑ Numbers 27:18-23

External links

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