The Trans-Israel Highway (Road 6) is the first BOT road building project in Israel, as well as being its longest highway and its first toll road. At present, the road is 138 kilometers long, with 12 interchanges, two tunnels (500 meters) and 100 bridges. In the next few years it is expected to reach a length of 247 kilometers as additional sections are added.
This highway is a north-south traffic artery, enabling drivers to travel quickly and safely while avoiding the congested areas in the center of the country.
Construction of Road 6 required a high level of expertise in several areas, such as: overall planning, detailed blueprints, paving, maintenance, financing, setting up and operating a smart electronic toll-collection system (one of the most advanced in the world), and handling a variety of environmental matters.
Shikun & Binui won the tender for this PPP project together with a local partner, and a Canadian company that constructed Canada’s first toll road. This partnership, operating under the Derech Eretz company, began work on the project in 1999, and the central sections were opened to the public between 2002 and 2004. In July 2009 the company completed a 17-kilometer section (Section 18) and thus brought Road 6 to its current length of 138km.