Haredi protest and three major concerts set to cause heavy traffic in Gush Dan

Gush Dan is expected to become a major traffic bottleneck today, Thursday, with thousands of drivers likely to find themselves in huge jams. The pressure on the roads stems from a complex combination of a "day of rage" declared by extremist factions in the Haredi public and one of the busiest evenings in this summer's concert schedule.

The Jerusalem Faction announced large demonstrations in protest of the arrest of draft evaders. Although the organizers chose to keep the details vague and did not specify where and when the exact protest sites would be held, tension in recent weeks has focused mainly on Route 4, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva, areas that could be closed intermittently.

Added to this is the planned congestion at entertainment venues, three major concerts are taking place tonight at the same time, Omer Adam will perform at the Ramat Gan Stadium, Ben Tzur will appear at the Moshava Stadium in Petah Tikva, and Eyal Golan at Bloomfield. Police estimate that traffic congestion in these areas will be felt strongly כבר from the early afternoon hours.