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A roadworks start order has been signed by the National Roadways Company (‘Ma'atz') for improvements to the Arava Road (the highway connecting Eilat with the rest of the country) and construction of a new entrance roadblock to Eilat. The roadworks include broadening the two lane (one each way) highway and adding some safety features, as well as building the new barrier and moving its location further north to Km. 18. The first stage of the project will be improvements to the section of road between Km. 18 and Km. 36 which is the junction for the Timna Mines site, involving an overall investment of around 70 million shekels.
The mayor of Eilat, Meir Itzhak Halevi, has been working for two years toward getting the entrance roadblock moved further north of town and improved to make it more attractive for visitors to the city. The new location, at milestone (kilometer stone!) 18, is to include the new Shekhoret industrial area within the barrier for the benefit of business owners there and to develop the area. The new barrier is to be made more aesthetic and welcoming to tourists, and will include a computerised information station for visitors set up by the City and the Ministry of Tourism cooperatively. The entrance way to the city starting from the barrier will be lit and will have palm trees lining the route so as to make the approach route more pleasant and inviting for what is Israel's leading tourist city.
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Ma'atz says that the existing traffic lanes will be broadened and safety features and intermittent passing lanes will be added. The shoulders will be broadened to meet the standards and solid divider rails will be placed between the two lanes. In each of the project sections, intermittent passing lanes 2 km long will be paved to make a temporary second lane in the given direction, so as to try and reduce the terrible accidents that happen on that road due to unsafe attempts to overtake vehicles that require going into the oncoming traffic lane. Ma'atz also says that the planning is to make the highway safer and more ‘forgiving' for drivers to try and prevent the often fatal head-on collisions caused by swerving into the oncoming lane due to the length and monotony of the route, dozing off momentarily, or unsafely trying to overtake a slower vehicle in front.
The roadworks will be carried out by the Roadways Construction and Development Company Ltd. and are to be carried out over a 24-month period according to the contract. The work is to be completed by 2 November 2010.
Ma'atz has also put out a tender for improvements and upgrading of the Hatzevah and Nekorot bridges at Kilometres 141 and 159 on the Arava Road (Highway 90) leading to Eilat, a 13 million shekel investment. Renovations to the bridges are to take 11 months. The bridges serve traffic to and from Eilat as well as military bases in the area. The work on the bridges is to include reinforcement for the handling of heavy vehicles that travel over them.
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