Highway 6 (Israel)

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Highway 6 (Israel)

Highway 6 ( Kvish Shisha), widely known as the Trans-Israel Highway or Cross-Israel Highway ( Kvish Chotzeh Yisrael, "Trans Israel Highway"), is a major electronic toll highway

Highway

A highway is a main road intended for travel by the public between important destinations, such as city and towns. Highway designs vary widely and can range from a two-lane road without margins to a multi-lane, grade separated freeway....
in Israel

Israel

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Encyclopedia

Highway 6 ( Kvish Shisha), widely known as the Trans-Israel Highway or Cross-Israel Highway ( Kvish Chotzeh Yisrael, "Trans Israel Highway"), is a major electronic toll highway

Highway

Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
. The highway was officially dedicated as the Yitzhak Rabin Highway ( Kvish Yitz?ak Rabin), though this name is not generally used. It started operations in the 2000s and is being lengthened as construction proceeds on newer sections. As of 2008, parts of it are still under construction.

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

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually Tel Aviv, is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of cities in Israel in Israel, with an estimated population of 390,100....
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

Green Line (Israel)

The term Green Line is used to refer to the 1949 Armistice Agreements established between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War....
. Currently Highway 6 is 123 km long, all of which is a freeway

Freeway

A freeway is a type of road designed for Road safety#Motorway high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections....
. This figure will grow in the next few years as additional segments, currently undergoing statutory approvals and permitting processes, are added to the main section of the road.

Highway 6 is the first Israeli BOT

Build-Operate-Transfer

Build-Operate-Transfer is a form of project financing, wherein a private entity receives a concession from the private or public sector to finance, design, construct, and operate a facilities stated in the concession contract....
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 in recent years.

Unique characteristics and pricing

Highway 6 uses a system of cameras and transponder

Transponder

In telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:* An automatic information appliance that receiver , amplifier, and Transmission a Signalling on a different frequency ....
s to toll vehicles automatically. There are no toll booths, allowing Highway 6 to be designed 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 407 ETR in Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a Provinces and territories of Canada located in the Central Canada part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area....
, Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
.

The pricing scheme for Highway 6 is based on the number of segments a driver passes in a given trip. Each segment is the road span between two interchange

Interchange (road)

In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road Junction that typically utilizes grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one road to pass through the junction without crossing any other traffic stream....
s (with one particular interchange being an exception). As of March 2006, the pricing for up to 3 segments is 15.04 NIS

Israeli new sheqel

The Israeli New Sheqel is the currency of Israel. The new sheqel is divided into 100 agorot . Denominations made in this currency are marked with the sheqel sign....
, 17.94 for 4 segments, and 20.84 for 5 or more segments. 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", pronounced with emphasis on the "kal", 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 Highway 6's operator and establish a 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 then 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, 40-80% higher than "Passkal" rates.

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 police for traffic enforcement.

Financial results and 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:

about 500 000 registered subscribers (one subscriber can own multiple vehicles),
1.36 million individual users (increase from 1.1 million users),
21 million trips,
80% of trips are by subscribers,
Bill collection success rate was 97%.

Controversy

Even as of 2006, various bodies still argue over the necessity of the highway.

Opponents claim that it is does not provide a solution for the overcongestion of traffic at central city entrances, and the country can't afford to invest as much money as it does in a project that does not solve the main traffic problem. Moreover, they claim that existing highways could be expanded for a similar result but lower costs.

Proponents point out the incredible success of the increase in subscriptions, the profit turned, and the anticipated share of profits that will be shared with the government as use continues to increase. The highway's BOT financing ensures reduced government risk.

Opponents' second claim is that the highway further increases the social gap in Israel, giving a privilege to the rich—or, those who can afford to use the highway. It also puts a lot of money taken from citizens in the hands of the few. It also increases the use of private vehicles (as opposed to public transportation), which creates pollution.

Proponents counter with the fact that the highway is more fuel efficient since there are rarely traffic jams, and it is direct with no traffic lights, city traversing, or intersections, unlike most other highways. Contrary to the original 'made for the rich' claims, the cost of using the highway might actually reduce the cost of operating vehicles regardless of social strata. Proponents of the highway claim that the highway's main benefit is allowing drivers to travel from north to south (and vice versa) while bypassing the congested highways in Israel's central region (the central portion of Highway 6 is located on the eastern edge of Israel's central region). This also allows for faster movement of goods and thus decreases shipping costs. Contrary to popular belief, many of Egged

Egged Bus Cooperative

Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd is the largest bus company in Israel, and the second largest in the world . A cooperative owned by its members, Egged employs 6227 workers and has 3105 buses for more than 1038 service routes and 3984 alternative routes all over Israel....
's buses travel on Highway 6, and therefore the highway does not discourage public transportation. The use of the highway by the long-range bus routes reduces travel time for passengers, and the marginal cost of operations (gas, wear and tear, depreciation, etc.) for each bus and driver.

Opponents claim that the highway harms the environment in a number of ways—it takes away the natural habitat of some animals and encourages further construction in those areas as land values rise.

Proponents do not disagree that the building of the highway damages the environment, but counter with the extensive investment and care in minimizing this inherent damage. Proponents show that the highway allows more people to live in rural and affordable periphery areas thereby reducing population density in the central area.

Finally, proponents also claim that the highway lessens the number of traffic accidents in Israel, which is relatively high, because it takes many cars off regular, more dangerous and crowded highways, and puts them on the much safer planned and maintained road.

Interchanges

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

km	Name	Meaning	Location	Road(s) Crossed
66	???? ???? (Ma'ahaz Interchange)	Named after nearby Ma'ahaz Stream	Beit Kama Beit Kama Beit Kama is a kibbutz in the northern Negev desert in Israel. It belongs to the jurisdiction of Bnei Shimon Regional Council....	(Highway 40 Highway 40 (Israel) Highway 40 is a north-south intercity road in Israel. At 302 km long, it is the second longest highway in Israel, after Highway 90 . The highway runs from Kfar Saba in the center of Israel to the Arabah in the south, serving as a main connection between central Israel and Be'er Sheva.... )
76	???? ???? ?? (Kiryat Gat Interchange)	Named after location	Kiryat Gat	(Highway 35 Highway 35 (Israel) Highway 35 is a highway in south-central Israel. It runs roughly from west to east. It begins in Ashkelon, passes through the Lakhish region and Kiryat Gat, crosses the Green Line and terminates at a junction with Highway 60 near Hebron.... )
100	???? ???? (Sorek Interchange)	Named after nearby Brook of Sorek Brook of Sorek Nahal Sorek , also Soreq, is one of the largest, most important drainage basins in the Judean Hills. It is mentioned in the Book of Judges 16:4 of the Bible as the border between the ancient Philistines and the Tribe of Dan of the ancient Israelites....	Yad Binyamin Yad Binyamin Yad Binyamin is a communal settlement located in central Israel and the seat of Nahal Sorek Regional Council. Yad Binyamin is located adjacent to the junction of three major thoroughfares; Highway 3 , Highway 6 and Highway 7 and a thirty minute drive to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beersheba....	(Highway 3 Highway 3 (Israel) Highway 3 is a highway in Israel. It begins at Beit Horon junction with Highway 443 near Modi'in, it passes through Kiryat Malakhi, and it ends a junction with Highway 4 on the outskirts of Ashkelon.... /Highway 7)
In planning stages
106	???? ????? (Hulda Interchange)	Named after location	Hulda	(Route 411)
111	Petrol and rest area Rest area A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads....		Na'an Na'an Na'an is a kibbutz near the city of Rehovot in Israel. Located within the Center District , it is under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council, and borders the villages Ganei Hadar, Ramot Meir and Sitria....	both directions
114	???? ????? (Nesharim Interchange)	Named after nearby Nesher Factory	Ramla Ramla Ramla , is a city in central Israel with a mixed Arab and Jewish population. Ramla was founded circa 705?715 CE by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik....	(Highway 431/Highway 44/Route 424)
118	???? ????? (Daniel Interchange)	Named after location	Kfar Daniel Kfar Daniel Kfar Daniel is a moshav shitufi in central Israel. Located around four kilometres south-east of Lod and covering 2,900 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council....	(Highway 1 Highway 1 (Israel) Highway 1 , is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem. Highway 1 continues into the West Bank past Ma'ale Adummim, and is then downgraded in size until the Beit HaArava Junction with Route 90 south of Jericho near the shores of the Dead Sea.... west-bound)
122	???? ?? ??? (Ben Shemen Interchange Ben Shemen Interchange Ben Shemen Interchange is a major freeway interchange complex in central Israel, connecting Highway 1 , Highway 6 , Route 443 and Route 444 , as well as several local roads.... )	Named after location	Ben Shemen Ben Shemen Ben Shemen is a moshav in central Israel. Located around four kilometres east of Lod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council....	(Highway 1 Highway 1 (Israel) Highway 1 , is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem. Highway 1 continues into the West Bank past Ma'ale Adummim, and is then downgraded in size until the Beit HaArava Junction with Route 90 south of Jericho near the shores of the Dead Sea.... east-bound/Route 443/Route 444)
123	tunnel	Named after location	Tel Hadid	2 lanes - 450 metres
123	Bridge	Named after location	Tel Hadid	2 lanes - 300 metres
124	Bridge	Named after location	Beit Nehemiah	2 lanes - 170 metres
In planning stages
133	???? ???? ?"? (Giv'at Koah Interchange)	Named after location	Giv'at Koah	(Route 444; Route 461)
137	???? ??????? (Nahshonim Interchange)	Named after location	Nahshonim Nahshonim Nahshonim is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located in the south of the Sharon plain near Rosh HaAyin, it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council....	(Route 471 Route 471 (Israel) Route 471 , commonly called Maccabit Road, is a suburban expressway in the center of the Gush Dan in Israel. The expressway connects Highway 4 in the west with Route 444 in the east.... )
142	???? ??? (Kessem Interchange)	Named after nearby Kafr Qasim Kafr Qasim Kfar Qasim , is a hill-top Arab citizens of Israel city located about twenty kilometers east of Tel Aviv, near the Green Line separating Israel and the West Bank, on the southern portion of the "Triangle " of Arab-Israeli towns and villages....	Rosh HaAyin Rosh HaAyin Rosh HaAyin is a List of Israeli cities in the Center District of Israel of Israel. To the west of Rosh HaAyin is the fortress of Antipatris and the source of the Yarkon River....	(Highway 5 Highway 5 (Israel) Highway 5, or the Trans-Samaria Highway , is one of Israel's main highways, connecting the Mediterranean Sea coast immediately north of Tel Aviv with the central Sharon plain and Ariel and other Israeli settlements in the northern West Bank, known under the biblical name Samaria.... /Route 444)
145	???? ?????? (Horshim Interchange)	Named after location	Horashim Horashim Horshim is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located in the south of the Sharon plain and covering 3,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 223....	(Route 531/Road 5233)
153	???? ???? (Eyal Interchange)	Named after location	Eyal Eyal Eyal is a kibbutz in the Center District of Israel close to the Green Line . It is under the jurisdiction of the Drom HaSharon Regional Council...	(Route 551)
166	???? ????? ??? (Nitzanei Oz Interchange)	Named after location	Nitzanei Oz Nitzanei Oz Nitzanei Oz is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near the Green Line and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council....	(Highway 57 Highway 57 (Israel) Highway 57 is an east-west highway through central Israel and the West Bank. In the past, it was an uninterrupted road from Netanya, a city on the Mediterranean coast in the west, to Damia Bridge across the Jordan River in the east.... )
174	Petrol and rest area Rest area A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads....		Lehavot Haviva Lehavot Haviva Lahavot Haviva is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the eastern Sharon plain near the Green Line , it falls under the jurisdiction of Menashe Regional Council....	both directions
177	???? ???? (Baqa Interchange)	Named after location	Baqa-Jat Baqa-Jat Baqa-Jatt is an Israeli-Arab city in the Haifa District of Israel established in 2003 through a merger of Baqa al-Gharbiyye and Jatt, Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Baqa-Jatt had a population of 32,400 at the end of 2007....	(Highway 61)
186	???? ????? (Iron Interchange)	Named after nearby Iron Stream	Barkai Barkai Barkai is an Israeli kibbutz in the Menashe Regional Council on the western side of Wadi Ara. Its main industries include thermal insulation and soundproofing, lamination and packaging: the Polyon Barkai factory; and agriculture: cattle, poultry, avocado and field crops....	(Highway 65 Highway 65 (Israel) Highway 65 is a major highway in northern Israel. It connects the coastal plain with the Galilee.This road is the shortest and simplest way to connect these two major regions.... )
Under construction
193	???? ??? ??? (Ein Tut Interchange)	Named after nearby Nahal Tut Nahal Tut Nahal Tut is an archaeological site excavated along the wadi of the same name in northern Israel's Mount Carmel#Ramot Menashe from February to July of 2005 by Amir Gorzalczany and Gerald Finkielsztejn in preparation for the northward extension of Highway 6 ....	Elyakim	(Highway 70 Highway 70 (Israel) Highway 70 is a highway in the Israeli coastal plain and Western Galilee in northern Israel. It connects the region of Zikhron Ya'akov to the Lower Galilee and to Kiryat Ata and Shlomi, Israel near Israel's border with Lebanon.... )

External links

(English section as well)

Running on Empty by Yaakov Garb