Route 443 (Israel–Palestine)

Route 443 (Hebrew: כביש 443, מעלה בית חורון) is also known as Ma'ale Beit Horon (Bethoron Ascent), following the ancient east-west trade route connecting the Via Maris and the Way of the Patriarchs. It is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv and Gush Dan with Jerusalem via Modi'in. While technically listed as a regional road, it is for the most part a divided, four-lane highway which utilises some grade separation and interchanges, as well as major at-grade intersections, and thus is not classified as a motorway, even though there is a short motorway section on its western end, connecting it to westbound Highway 1.

Route 443 shield}}
Route 443
כביש 443
Ascent of Bethoron
Hebrew: מעלה בית חורון, romanized: Ma'ale Beit Horon
Route information
Length32 km (20 mi)
Major junctions
West endLod (Ginaton Junction)
Major intersections
East endHighway 45/Begin Expressway to Jerusalem
Location
CountryIsrael
Major citiesModi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Modi'in Illit, Giv'at Ze'ev
Highway system
Eastward ascent of Route 443 between Modi'in and Jerusalem approaching Beit Ur al-Fauqa

Route

Route 443 begins as a local street near downtown Lod. Leaving Lod to the east, it becomes a divided highway, crossing Highway 1 and Highway 6 at the Ben Shemen Interchange, and continuing to Shilat junction, which serves as the entrance for the Modi'in area. It then continues through the West Bank in the Matte Binyamin Regional Council, near Ramallah. Upon passing Givat Ze'ev Junction, its official designation becomes Highway 45 which continues directly to Jerusalem's Highway 50 (Begin Boulevard). A spur, Route 436, also links it with Jerusalem through Giv'at Ze'ev and the Ramot neighborhood.

The Road in Antiquity

The road was used during many battles in antiquity due to its unique geography. It is mentioned in several ancient writings.

As opposed to the modern Highway 1 which twists and turns, rises and falls between mountains and valleys on its way to Jerusalem through the Judean hills, the central portion of Highway 443 runs along a ridge line and maintains a relatively stable grade.
see also: Bet-Horon

Use by Palestinian traffic

Westbound Maccabim Security Checkpoint approaching Modi'in
Route 443 near Giv'at Ze'ev Junction, with pyramid-shaped stacks of barbed wire forming a section of the Israeli West Bank barrier

The route crosses into the West Bank just north of Maccabim, and continues thereafter until the junction just north of Givat Ze'ev; Palestinian traffic is permitted to use the road between these two points.

Several access roads connecting Palestinian villages with this section of Route 443 were closed in September 2000 due to the outbreak of the Second Intifada.[1] Frequent fire bomb attacks and fatal shootings on Israeli traffic saw the erection of anti-sniper barricades on parts of the highway adjacent to Palestinian-populated areas.[2][3][4][5]

In March 2008, following a challenge by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Israel's Supreme Court permitted for six more months the right of the IDF to limit Palestinian traffic in this section, deeming the restrictions necessary to prevent attacks.[6][7] On December 29, 2009 Israel's High Court of Justice upheld the ACRI's petition against an IDF order barring Palestinian traffic.[8] The ruling became effective May 28, 2010, and unrestricted Palestinian traffic was again permitted.[9]

Junctions and interchanges (west to east)

km Name Type Meaning Location Road(s) Crossed
Lod
HaHashmonaim Blvd.
0 כיכר הבנים
(HaBanim Square)
The Sons Central Lod
Route 434
Herzl St.
Katzenelson St.
Uri Nehushtan St.
0.15 Central Lod Amos Vigodski St.
0.2 כיכר השוטר
(HaShoter Square)
The Policeman Mishmar Nof
neighborhood
Tzahal Blvd.
Henrietta Szold St.
0.4 Mishmar Nof
neighborhood
Derech Beit HaDin
0.5 Mishmar Nof
neighborhood
Resh-Aleph St.
HaPrachim St.
0.8 Neve Nof
neighborhood
Kehilat New York St.
Mordechai & Chaya Freeman St.
1 Neve Nof
neighborhood
Erez St.
1.1 Ramat Eshkol
neighborhood
General LeClerc St.
1.3 כיכר חיל התחזוקה
(Heil HaTahzuka Square)
Quartermaster Corps Yasmin,
Shabazi,
Neve Nof
neighborhoods
HeHalutz St.
Haim Moshe Shapira St.
Lod Municipal Boundary
1.6 צומת גינתון
(Ginaton Junction)
Little Garden Lod
Highway 40
2.5 צומת בו שמן
(Ben Shemen Junction)
Fruitful Moshav Ben Shemen,
Moshav Ginaton
local roads
3.3 Ben Shemen Youth Village
and Agricultural School
local road
4.1 מחלף בן שמן
(Ben Shemen Interchange)


Named after location Ben Shemen
Highway 1,

Highway 6,

Route 444
4.9 צומת מודיעים
(Modi'im Junction)
Named after location
of ancient village Modi'im
Informers
north to
Rosh HaAyin

Route 444
5 צומת מודיעים
(Modi'im Junction)
south to
Kfar Daniel, Moshav Gimzo

Road 4314
6.2 443 Extension from/to Tel Aviv from/to

Highway 1
6.5 צומת מצפה מודיעין
(Mitzpe Modi'in Junction)
Modi'in Overlook JNF Ben Shemen Forest
"Mitzpe Modi'in"
local road
7.5 Mitkan Adam Army Base local road
8.1 צומת נאות קדומים
(Neot Kedumim Junction)
(westbound only)
Beauties of Ancient Times JNF Ben Shemen Forest
"Neot Kedumim"
local road
10.1 צומת מבוא מודיעים
(Mevo Modi'im Junction)
Gateway to Modi'im Mevo Modi'im
JNF Ben Shemen Forest
"Zaglembie Martyrs Memorial"
local road
10.8 צומת הנקתפים
(HaNiktafim Junction)
(eastbound only)
Harvested JNF Ben Shemen Forest
"Yad HaNiktafim"
local road
11.6 צומת מכבים
(Maccabim Junction)
(westbound only)
Named for The Maccabees JNF Ben Shemen Forest
"Tombs of the Maccabees"

Road 4466
12.2 Modi'in (west)
Modi'in Industrial Zone
Yehuda Hamaccabi St.
12.8 (eastbound only) Modi'in filling station
14 (westbound only) Shilat
Modi'in Illit
Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut
filling station
14.2 צומת שילת
(Shilat Junction)
Named after location Shilat
Modi'in Illit
Kfar Rut

Route 446
14.3 צומת שילת
(Shilat Junction)
Named after location Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut HaHashmonaim Blvd.
15.7 צומת מכבים-רעות
(Maccabim-Re'ut Junction)
Maccabees-Friendship Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut Yair Parag Road
17.1 Green Line
17.35 צומת ספא
(Saffa Junction)
Named after location Green Line blocked local road,
passenger transfer
to Saffa
17.4 Maccabim Security Checkpoint
NO westbound through-traffic for green (Palestinian Authority) license plates
17.5 צומת בית חורון
(Beit Horon Junction)
Named after location
House of Horon
Beit Sira local road
NO entry to
yellow
(Israeli)
license plates
18 Saffa,
Beit Ur al-Tahta
blocked local road
18.8 (eastbound only) Beit Sira blocked local road
19.5 (westbound only) Beit Ur al-Tahta blocked local road
21.5 מחלף עור א-תחתא
(Ur al-Tahta Interchange)
Beit Ur al-Tahta
Kharbatha al-Misbah
Beit Liqya
(to Beit Ur al-Fauqa)
(to Ramallah)
local roads
NO entry to
yellow
(Israeli)
license plates
22.2 (eastbound only) Kharbatha al-Misbah filling station
24 (westbound only) Beit Ur al-Fauqa local road
NO entry to
yellow
(Israeli)
license plates
27 מחלף בית חורון
(Beit Horon Interchange)
Named after location
House of Horon
Beit Horon
At-Tira
local road
28.1 (eastbound only) Agan HaAyalot
Givat Ze'ev (west)
HaAyelot St
NO entry to
green
(Palestinian Authority)
license plates
NO eastbound through-traffic for green (Palestinian Authority) license plates
31.1 Ofer Security Checkpoint
31.8 צומת גבעת זאב
(Giv'at Ze'ev Junction)
Wolf Hill Giv'at Ze'ev
Ofer Prison

Route 436,
Route 443
continues as:

Highway 45
to

Highway 50

References

31°53′54″N 35°02′17″E

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