Ben Gurion Airport Interchange and NIS 400 Million Highway Projects Advance in 2026

Several major road infrastructure projects are advancing across Israel in 2026, headlined by the NIS 492 million Ben Gurion Airport West Interchange and multiple highway expansions designed to reduce chronic congestion in the country's most trafficked corridors. The Ben Gurion Airport West Interchange project, also known as the Kfar Habad Interchange, involves construction of a new entrance gate and interchange connecting Highway 1 directly to the airport. Construction began in Q1 2026 following a tender process completed in mid-2025. The project is expected to significantly improve access for the millions of passengers and workers who transit through the airport annually. Meanwhile, managed fast lanes have been introduced on Tel Aviv's Coastal Highway and the Ayalon Freeway — two of the most congested arteries in the metropolitan area. The managed lanes use dynamic pricing and real-time traffic management to improve throughput during peak hours, representing Israel's first large-scale deployment of intelligent transportation systems on existing highways. Israel's multi-year infrastructure development program for 2023-2027, updated in 2025, includes dozens of road projects with construction costs exceeding NIS 100 million each. The program encompasses highway widening, new interchange construction, and grade-separated crossings designed to improve safety and reduce travel times across the national road network. In the greater Jerusalem area, construction has begun on Route 45, a six-kilometer bypass road with a width of 60 meters. The NIS 400 million project includes four bridges and an underground passage, designed to provide a more direct connection between outlying communities and Highway 443, which links to central Israel. Transportation Ministry officials estimate that the combined road infrastructure investments currently underway will reduce average commute times by 15 to 20 percent in the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem metropolitan areas by 2028. The projects complement the mass transit expansions — including the metro, light rail, and expanded Israel Railways services — that form the backbone of the country's long-term transportation strategy.