Great news for the residents of Samaria: In about two months, the central part of the Huwara bypass will be opened, allowing residents to travel safely on the road, not through the hostile village - where four Israelis were murdered in the past six months.
During Transportation Minister Miri Regev's tour of the route together with Samaria Council Mayor Yossi Dagan, which took place yesterday, the two announced that they had brought forward the timetables so that the main part of the road, which bypasses the village, would be opened two months ahead of schedule.
Huwara. The settlers will now move safely, Photo: Oren Cohen
In recent months, Huwara has become a death trap for Israelis. Some of the worst terrorist attacks of the past year took place there, including the murder of Hillel Weigel Yaniv z"l in Einabus Square last February, and the attack two weeks ago in which Silas-Shai Nigerker and his son Aviad Nir were murdered. Due to the grave risk, and the fact that Israelis are forced to travel there in order to reach their homes and work, military forces are stationed in the village.
The Huwara bypass is one of the greatest achievements brought about by the protest tent led by Dagan, together with the heads of other municipalities and bereaved families six years ago. At the time, the heads of the local authorities and bereaved families demanded that bypass roads be built to allow Israelis safe travel, and even went on hunger strike to protest the government's incompetence in the matter.
"Exciting closure"
About two years ago, work began on paving the road, but at first there were quite a few delays. After the attack in which the Yaniv brothers were murdered, Regev ordered the work to be accelerated and approved an additional NIS 50 million to fund the project, which is scheduled to be completed in December. In total, the cost of the project, which includes a two-lane two-lane road for seven and a half kilometers, with three interchanges and four crossings for farmers, costs NIS 384 million.
Brothers Hillel Weigel Yaniv, victims of the attack in Huwara, photo: Facebook
The scene of the shooting near Huwwara // Photo: MDA operational documentation
The first, and more important, segment between Yitzhar HaGadol Junction and Beta Junction is expected to open in only two months – two months ahead of schedule and many months ahead of schedule. It will replace the road inside the village. The second segment, up to Tapuach Junction, will open according to plan at the end of the year.
"This is an exciting closure for me," Regev said during the tour. "This is a life-saving road that adds security and safety to the residents."
The head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, said: "This is great news for the residents of Judea and Samaria and for the entire people of Israel, both in terms of safety, security and as a significant tool for reaching the goal of one million residents in the Samaria region."
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