The budget for the southern section of Highway 6 was cancelled: "a slap in the face for the absorption of a population based in the Negev"

The work on the road that was supposed to connect Dimona to the center had already begun, areas were expropriated, but the money flowed to other projects and the process stopped.

The meaning: the worsening of traffic congestion on the existing routes and the reduction of safety in them.

Dimona Mayor Benny Biton: "Proof that the government is neglecting the Negev and the periphery"

Kenan Cohen

27/10/2022

Thursday, October 27, 2022, 03:45 Updated: 23:29

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On video: the traffic jam between the Ein Tut interchange and Yokneam (Photo: Reuters)

Quietly, the budgeting for the southern section of Route 6, which was supposed to connect the road from the Shokat intersection to Nabatim, was canceled - NIS 690 million budgeted for 12 km, which crosses the areas of the Bedouin settlement in the south and connects Dimona to the center. The road to Arava and Eilat is faster and safer, however, the budgeted money flowed to other projects, and was not left for the southern section.

The planning was already approved in September 2009, approved a second time and budgeted in 2018.

The land expropriation procedure was launched in 2019, and as part of it negotiations were conducted for the evacuation of about 100 families living near the route.

According to the publications, these families will receive a plot of land or a housing unit in a settled settlement, 250 thousand shekels in compensation from the Bedouin Settlement Authority and additional compensation from Route 6 itself.

In December 2020, work began on the route as well as uncovering the area, with the beginning of the execution planned for the beginning of 2022. Now the process has stopped, when the budgets were directed to other projects, and together with them, the process of land expropriation and the evacuation of the Bedouin population from the route was stopped.

There is no transportation alternative for mass transportation in the south.

Route 6 (Photo: Public Relations)

Binge coiling in the center, to achieve short-term relief.

Traffic jam on Route 2 (Photo: Reuven Castro)

According to Benny Biton, the mayor of Dimona and the chairman of the Negev Development Authority, the stoppage of budgeting and the resulting freeze comes at a time when the Negev gates are under agreements for the construction of tens of thousands of housing units in each city. The government is neglecting the Negev and the periphery," he said. All of this in secret, even without the heads of the authorities themselves being informed.

In contrast to the paving binge in the center, which expanded more and more roads and lanes only to achieve short-term relief, to clog them up a short time later and make the situation worse - for the highways In the south, there is no transportation alternative to mass transit in the foreseeable time frame. Stopping transportation projects at the height of a development boom means worsening traffic congestion on the existing roads and lowering the level of safety on them. Part of the budget taken is directed to the expansion and upgrading of existing roads. These will receive a festive Hanukkah and the announcement of Your completion.

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Mayor of Dimona Benny Biton (photo: official website, photo by Yuval Chen)

The Ministry of Transportation stated: "As part of the policy of prioritizing the Negev and the Galilee, the Ministry of Transportation is currently promoting a long series of infrastructural and transportation projects in the south of the country, including the upgrading of the railway tracks from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva, the planning and construction of light rail in the Beer Sheva metropolis, the electrification of all the buses in Dimona, the paving of the entrance For Kiryat Hamodiin in the Negev, upgrading of road 41 from Ashdod to Nir Galim, widening of road 40 from Talalim to the city of Habadim, upgrading of road 90, continued widening of road 232, and road 264 between Beit Kama and Mishmar HaNegev, treatment of risk centers and increased transportation accessibility to Negev settlements, signing of an agreement between authorities The change in horizons, an investment of tens of millions in Arad, Yeruham, Netivot and more.

"In the last budget that was approved, the priorities were changed in favor of mass transit, public transportation, and bike paths, and for the next budget, the budgeting for the extension of Route 6 to the south will be reconsidered, in accordance with professional considerations and the strategic plan for roads led by the Minister of Transportation."

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