The Ministry of Transportation is introducing changes in the way roads are numbered in Israel. Many will retain their old numbers but there will be changes.
Current Route 443 will become Route 45 for its entire length. Photo Michael Jakobson
How will it work?
The basis of numbering the highways throughout the country remains the same: roads which traverse the length of the country from north to south will remain with even numbers while roads crossing it from west to east will continue to bear odd numbers, from low to high. Thus, for example, Highway Two is more west than Highway Four which is followed by Highway Six as one moves east. The country is much longer from north to south than from west to east.
It is also customary that main roads on a national level bear single digit numbers while roads between districts are double digit numbered.
Main thoroughfares crossing the country and passing through a large number of regions will be designated by double-digits ending with zero (i.e. Highway 40 and 60). Similarly, the highway colors on maps will remain as up to now with three colors: blue as an express road (limited access highway with interchanges); red for a main artery and green for a regional road.
So what has been changed?
According to the new network of roads, highways will not be numbered in sections or those which continue to another place will not get a new number. Similarly, there will not be a section numbered doubly for different highways. In addition, the number of a highway will be denoted only up till the entrance of a city, while those sections within the city will be designated according to the street names therein. Jabotinsky from Tel Aviv to Petach Tikva via Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak will no longer be numbered as Highway 482.
The Transportation Ministry informed that the entire update for dozens of sections throughout the country will be introduced gradually, concurrent with the procession of projects and infrastructure of new highways and updating present highways.
Some examples of new numbers: Road 443 will become Route 45. Route 431 will become Route 43. Road 90 which is a long north-south road will become Route 8. The roads which encircle the Kinneret, which now have various numbers, will all become Route 900.
