Electra won the tender for the construction of the fast lane on Highway 5 for 2 billion shekels
Electra has won the tender for the construction and operation of the fast lane on Highway 5. The project is estimated at 2 billion shekels and is expected to be operational by 2031.
Electra won the tender for the construction and operation of the fast lane on Highway 5, a project estimated at 2 billion shekels, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance.
The project includes a two-way fast lane with a cumulative length of 25 km between the Kasem interchange and Glilot East, as well as an integrated transport complex at the Kasem interchange with 3,200 parking spaces. The project is expected to be operational in 2031.
The fast lane project on Highway 5 is intended to allow drivers arriving from the east to leave their vehicles at the Kasem interchange and continue into Gush Dan using a dedicated and free shuttle system to major employment centers. The transport complex is also expected to connect to the Israel Railways station of Rosh HaAyin North, thereby allowing transfers between private vehicles, buses, and trains.
The tender included five Israeli and international bidders: Minrav Holdings and Ben-Tor, Danya Cebus and Dan, Shapir and Meir, Shikun & Binui and Egged Holdings, and Electra, which won. Electra will establish a dedicated company that will be responsible for the project from the financing and planning stage to construction and operation.
Given the history of the project and other large transport projects in Israel, the main test will be the ability to meet the schedules. The lane on Highway 5 is part of a broader plan to establish a network of fast lanes at the entrances to the Tel Aviv metropolis. It is supposed to connect to the existing and planned fast lanes on Highway 20 and Highway 2, so that eventually a network will be created that will allow continuous travel in lanes designated for public transport and carpooling.
The project on Highway 5 is not new; the state has been promoting the idea of fast lanes in the east of Gush Dan for several years, and it has undergone a series of changes and delays. The project is effectively the second link in a model that is already operating on the Ayalon lanes. The fast lane on Highway 20 was opened to traffic in 2011, and within its framework, vehicles with three or more passengers are allowed to use the lane for free, alongside buses and taxis. At the same time, a large "Park and Ride" terminal was built at the Shapirim parking lot, from which shuttles to Gush Dan are operated.
