MARCH AGAINST THE STUPIDITY OF ROAD 45
David Tuviana
Very slowly the plans for road 45 are being completed. A multi-lane highway which will begin at the Ben Shemen Junction and continue to Jerusalem and from there it is expected to extend to Aman in Jordan. The cost of this huge insane project stands at several billions of shekels. The planned route for road 45 in the Hevel Modi’in area is unfortunately parallel to & a short distance of only a few hundred meters from the existing road which is currently the main road between Ben Shemen & Jerusalem.
The original idea for road 45 was correct at the time it was envisaged little more than a decade ago. At that time road 443 was little more than a side road, not easy to travel along, with only two lanes, one in each direction. It was mainly used by local residents living in the Hevel Modi’in area. As Jerusalem extended northward, more people used the road, and there were more accidents. The rising number of victims plus public pressure on the Roadworks Department & Ministry of Housing resulted in the widening of the road & improved infrastructure.
Many urban & demographic planners are asking why an extra road should be constructed. Why, in order to connect Tel Aviv with Haifa, one quality road is sufficient, and yet Jerusalem needs three approach roads of highway standard.
Not only the financial burden on the treasury is the consideration here. It is a serious matter of grave damage within Hevel Modi’in, its character and its natural formation. For decades the Ben Shemen forest was considered the green vision of the Dan region. It was enough to go out to the Ben Shemen Forest at the weekend and see the hundreds of families spending their Shabbat in the midst of Nature. If the road 45 comes into existance you can forget about the Ben Shemen Forest. One morning you will wake up and see that the mighty forest has turned into small clumps of trees & all the nooks & crannies have been cemented & asphalted over.
Another victim on the sacrificial altar of financiers, contractors and those with other interests, will be Jewish History, which happens to be situated exactly on the planned route of the road. To visitors looking for the Maccabean Heritage in the area we will be able to explain that here, exactly here, under the asphalt we buried the last remains of the Maccabean Heritage forever.
As usual the main obstacle in the project’s progress is inertia. Since the day the authorisations were given no-one has investigated the new circumstances and viability. The fact is that the two existing roads are of the best standard in the country. No re-evaluation has taken place for years. But we, who will suffer most harm will continue the struggle and bring this folly, which is under our noses, to the attention of all.
All of us, Council heads and ordinary residents are drowsing, and when will we wake up? On the day we see tens of excavators pulling up hundreds of dunams of forest in order to level the ground for the asphalt.
I call to the Heads of neighbouring councils at Shoham, Modi’in, Maccabim-Reut, who for sure are concerned for the quality of life of their residents, to join together into a forum of Council Heads for the sake of the environment. Maybe all of us together can succeed in preventing an ecological disaster which will affect us all.
David Toviana is the head of the local council of Hevel Modi'im
Translated by Marion Stone