Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today dedicated a new section of the southern part of the Ayalon Highway.
The new section is a continuation of the existing Ayalon Highway (#20) and enables continuous travel - without traffic lights - between the Wolfson interchange and the Hulot interchange. The continued development of the southern section of Highway #20 is in order to turn it into a suburban highway, without traffic lights, linking the center of the Greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area with its southern outskirts. The southern section of the Ayalon Highway runs from the Kibbutz Galuyot interchange through all of southern Tel Aviv, Holon, Bat Yam and Rishon LeZion until it merges with the Ashdod-Tel Aviv highway at the Hulot interchange.
Care was taken to minimize disturbances to nearby residential areas by building sunken - not elevated - interchanges at a cost of approximately NIS 60 million each. The project also entailed work on several Israel Railway lines.
The Ayalon South project is one of the most complex engineering projects in Israel today. Over NIS 1,2 billion has been invested in it thus far.
Immediately upon taking office, Prime Minister Sharon suggested that the Transportation Ministry effect a transportation revolution by joining the Negev to the center of the country. To this end, the Prime Minister visited the Ayalon South work site in order to both view and press for the advancement of the project. On 18.7.04, the Government made a decision vis-?-vis the Ayalon Highway.
The Government decided to rescind its 2002 decision in which it determined that the Ayalon Company would close, and decided that the company would continue operations indefinitely. The decision determines that the company would continue operating in the Greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area and that the northern Netanya-to-Hadera section would be reconsidered since it would traverse a nature reserve.