Major thoroughfare at entrance to capital closes today until 2022
Local authorities have advised motorists to take Route 1 via the Arazim Tunnel or Route 443.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFTraffic chaos feared as key Jerusalem route set to close(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Planning on driving to Jerusalem over the next three years or so? Better leave a little extra time.Beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday – until sometime in 2022 – Shazar Boulevard, a major artery at the entrance to Jerusalem from Route 1, will be blocked to all private vehicles, as part of the second stage of the Jerusalem Gateway Project: a plan to turn the area into one of the country’s leading business hubs. Some 40 traffic officers will be on hand Sunday to direct motorists to alternative routes, including Herzl Avenue, Yirmiyahu Street and Yitzhak Rabin Boulevard, which has been widened ahead of the closure. Public transportation will continue along Shazar as usual, unaffected by the construction work.Local authorities have advised motorists to take Route 1 via the Arazim Tunnel or Route 443. Those exiting the city should travel on Begin Boulevard to the tunnel or Route 443. Police are advising drivers to use Waze and other GPS apps like Moovit and Google Maps.One of the best ways to beat the traffic is to park at one of the Jerusalem Light Rail parking lots – at Ammunition Hill or Mount Herzl – and take the train. Eytan Halon contributed to this report.
