Major Weekend Closures Planned for Tel Aviv Ayalon Highway and Rail Network
Essential electrical maintenance will force the closure of Israel's busiest highway and disrupt train services across the Tel Aviv metro area this weekend.
By Yuki Kaminski ·
Drivers and commuters planning to travel across Israel this weekend should anticipate significant traffic delays and modified public transportation schedules. Large sections of the Ayalon Highway, widely considered the busiest artery in the Tel Aviv area, will be closed for the majority of the weekend starting Thursday night. These closures are necessary to accommodate critical electrical work that will also impact regional rail services.
The closure of Route 20, commonly known as the Ayalon, will begin at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday and continue until 4 p.m. on Friday. Following this initial period, the highway will remain open during Friday night and for most of Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, when road work is scheduled to pause. However, the road will close again at 11 p.m. on Saturday and will not reopen until 5 a.m. on Sunday.
During the closed periods, vehicle traffic will be directed to alternative routes to mitigate congestion. Authorities expect traffic conditions to return to normal levels by the start of the Sunday morning rush hour, coinciding with the beginning of the Israeli work week.
The electrical maintenance will also affect Israel Railways services. The impact on the rail network is scheduled to last from Thursday night until 4 a.m. on Sunday. As a result, limited service will be provided in the Tel Aviv and Herzliya areas, with some routes being cut in half and others shortened to accommodate the work.
All Tel Aviv train stations except for Tel Aviv Savidor Center will be closed during the maintenance window. This decision truncates the north-south lines that typically pass through the city to connect with destinations nationwide.
Specific route adjustments have been announced for several major lines. The Modiin-Nahariya line will be split into two separate services. One segment will operate between Modiin Central in the center of the country and Tel Aviv Savidor Center, while the other will run between Herzliya and Nahariya in the north.
Similar adjustments will apply to the Beersheba-Nahariya line and the Ashkelon-Binyamina line, both of which will be split into distinct sections. Additionally, the Jerusalem-Herzliya line will operate in a shortened format, starting its journey at Savidor rather than its usual terminus at Herzliya.
Travelers are advised to check for updated schedules and plan their journeys accordingly to account for the reduced rail service and highway closures. The coordinated effort aims to complete the necessary electrical upgrades with minimal long-term disruption to the region's transportation infrastructure.
