Nighttime Closures Planned on Ayalon and Coastal Highway for Tel Aviv Rapid Transit Project

The Ayalon Highway (Route 20) and Coastal Highway (Route 2) in Israel will undergo several nighttime closures this week as part of the "Rapid Lanes" project aimed at improving public transit in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. The closures will occur between midnight and 5 a.m. on different nights and sections to minimize disruption.

On the night between Monday and Tuesday, the northbound Ayalon Highway will be closed between Rokach Interchange and KKL Interchange, with traffic redirected to exit at Rokach. On Tuesday night, the southbound Coastal Highway will close between Poleg and Wingate interchanges, diverting traffic to Route 553 and Route 4. On Wednesday night, the southbound Coastal Highway will close between Netanya Interchange and Gesher HaShalom Interchange, with traffic rerouted through Herzl Street and Ben Tzvi Boulevard.

These works support the April 2026-launched Rapid Lanes initiative, which includes free, frequent electric shuttles departing every five minutes from the Shafim transport hub, offering about 7,000 parking spaces. Currently, these lanes are reserved for shuttles and public transport between HaShalom and Shafim interchanges. Future phases will extend the network through Rishon LeZion and along Route 20 and the Coastal Highway, eventually allowing toll-free carpool travel and converting the corridor into a toll road excluding motorcycles.

Motorists are advised to avoid affected areas during closure hours and use navigation apps like Waze for real-time updates. Temporary changes to public transport routes and stops will also be implemented. For further information, travelers can contact the "Kol Kav" hotline at *8787 or consult public transport apps.

The project, costing approximately 8 billion shekels, aims to enhance transit efficiency and reduce congestion in the Tel Aviv metropolitan region.