New bridges to open soon

The bridges cross over Highways 2 and 4 near the Matam business park and lead up toward the entrance to the Carmel tunnels.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Three new bridges leading from the beach highway up to Mount Carmel are expected to open to traffic by the end of this month, reports Yediot Haifa. The bridges cross over Highways 2 and 4 near the Matam business park and lead up toward the entrance to the Carmel tunnels, which are currently being built in a massive $1 billion project. A spokesman for the tunnels project said the bridge work had entailed extensive development of the western entrance to the city, with new roads, drainage, lighting and landscaping. He said the bridges would enable drivers to travel up to the tunnel entrances from the beach without having to stop at any intersection. In addition, work on the central tunnels exit, near the Grand Canyon shopping mall, is also advancing. The spokesman said bridges and roads were also being constructed there and a new interchange was being created. And the spokesman said work had begun recently at the Checkpost intersection, where an interchange will be created leading from the Krayot to the tunnels. The entire project, consisting of two 4.7 km east-west tunnels and a further 1.8 km of roads, is expected to be completed in 2010.