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Lost highway By Avi Bar-Eli Tags: Finance Ministry The Finance Ministry's budget department wants to dismantle the Trans-Israel Highway Company, which operates trans-Israel Highway 6, some 15 years after it was founded. The reason behind the intention is that the paving of most of the route, from Yoqneam Junction in the North to Ahuzam in the South, a stretch of about 140 kilometers, will be completed by the end of 2009 and because it is unclear when the rest of the highway's planned route will be paved. Treasury officials have suggested dismantling the independent company and absorbing it as a projects branch of the Israel National Roads Company (New Ma'atz) - both due to budgetary-systemic considerations, but also because the future projects of the two companies will overlap. However, officials at the Transportation Ministry have expressed their opposition to the treasury's intention. At a meeting between the Transportation Ministry's director general, Gideon Siterman, and the treasury's budget director, Ram Belinkov, Siterman made it clear that the ministry wants the company to finish paving the entire stretch - to Kabri Junction in the North and to the "training base city" in the South (Negev Junction) - and that it would not agree to the company being dismantled. In a related move, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz last week ordered the transfer of two planned projects from the National Roads Company to the Trans-Israel Highway Company. These are the project for paving Highway 40 from Ahuzam to the Be'er Sheva bypass road and the huge project of improving Highway 31 from Lehavim eastwards. Advertisement While treasury officials have suspended their intention to dismantle the company, they note that "the company's main task is nearing its end, as the extent of its activity is diminishing considerably," adding that "the possibilities of realizing the rest of the company's activities by means of other transportation organizations are being examined." The Trans-Israel Highway Company is a government company that was founded in March 1993 to advance and accompany the paving of the Highway 6 project. According to the original plan, the Trans-Israel Highway was to be paved along a stretch of some 250 kilometers, from Kabri Junction in the North to Negev Junction in the South, in a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) arrangement that would not rely on the government budget. Between August 2002 and January 2004, four main segments of the road's central section were opened, from Soreq to Nahal Eron (90 kilometers). The northern segment of the road (Segment 18), between Ein Eron and Ein Tut, was delayed for two years because of a disagreement resulting from the discovery of graves along the route, and is slated to be opened to traffic at the end of next year. In the end, the government funded the road's southern sections, after they were found to be economically unprofitable. Segment 19, between Soreq Junction and Kiryat Gat (23 kilometers), was opened to traffic a few months ago and Segment 20, between Kiryat Gat and Ahuzam (12 kilometers) will open on July 1. With the opening of these segments to traffic, the Trans-Israel Highway Company will be at a crossroads, because the next northern segment, from Nahal Yoqneam to Kabri, is currently only in the planning stages, and its paving is expected to encounter difficulties because of statutory disputes and issues of expropriating Druze lands. The link between the highway and the Negev Junction has also encountered budgetary difficulties, and in effect overlaps to some extent with existing projects run by the National Roads Company. It was not possible to get a response from the Trans-Israel Highway Company by press time. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Nazi hunted Nazi sheltered by Austria seen enjoying Euro 2008 games. Battle of the attitude An 'Israeli au pair' seems to be the ultimate oxymoron.

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