(live here) – The Gulf Port Connection Project, which is intended to create a continuous connection to the road and rail system in the Haifa metropolitan area, and will enable fast and efficient transit throughout the port area, is a great success when, six months ahead of schedule, the railway line that will connect the Gulf Port and the Israel Shipyards Port with the national rail network began operation.
While many projects across the country were halted or delayed due to the fighting in the north, Haifa actually recorded an extraordinary success: the project to connect the Gulf Port to the national rail and road network recorded success with the operation of the railway connecting the Gulf Port to the national network six months ahead of schedule.
In February 2025, six months ahead of schedule, the railway began operating, connecting the Gulf Port and the Israel Shipyards Port to the national network – a move that is expected to change the face of transportation and traffic in the region, ease congestion, reduce air pollution, and accelerate the transportation of goods in Israel.
At the center of the project: a direct connection between the port and Highway 75, and later also to Highway 6 – which allows trucks to exit and enter the port without passing through traffic-lighted intersections. In addition – the construction of an infrastructure railway, which eliminates the need for transporting cargo by trucks.
In a special interview with Abed Yazbak, an execution engineer for the Gulf Port Connections project at the Israel Ports Company (IPC), a story of meticulous management, rare collaborations, and overcoming both technical and security challenges is revealed.
How did you manage to bring the opening forward, especially at a time when war delayed many projects?
"This period really posed some difficult challenges," shares Yazbak, "but we managed to strengthen teams even before the fighting began, and work in extraordinary cooperation with the contracting company, the management teams, and Israel Railways. We strengthened the pace, maintained a high level of coordination, and understood the national importance of the project."
What are the main challenges you encountered along the way?
"Working in the heart of an area saturated with infrastructure like Haifa Bay is a challenge in itself - we are talking about fuel pipelines, industrial infrastructure, existing roads, and more. Precise coordination with dozens of bodies is required - infrastructure companies, local authorities, government bodies. We managed to overcome everything thanks to the systemic vision of all those involved, and especially thanks to the leadership of the Engineering Division at the National Institute of Civil Engineering, headed by Lavi Meir."
Complex project – bridges, tunnels and transportation solutions
As part of the project, no fewer than 8 bridges were built: two bridges over Highway 22, three bridges over the Kishon River, a bridge over Moshe Dayan Street, a bridge near the Haifa airport – and another bridge for the passage of trucks on a designated transportation route. In addition, an infrastructure tunnel was dug under the road. In addition, new roads were built and infrastructure was built to connect rails to four different port branches – including the Israel Shipyards Port and the Shavit Branch.
Dramatic transportation change
According to Yazbak, the project's contribution to the Haifa metropolis will be significant: "The train will replace the trucks, which will dramatically reduce road congestion, reduce air pollution, and enable much higher efficiency in transporting goods to and from the port. This will contribute to the economy, the economy, and public health in the entire region."
The current phase includes handing over the systems to various infrastructure companies – including Netivei Israel, Israel Railways and the Haifa Municipality – as well as completing the signaling and communication systems, which are expected to be completed by August. With the completion of all extensions, the full transition of the Gulf Port to operating on rail will be completed.
Looking to the Future: A New Entrance to Haifa
One of the complex focal points of the project was the construction of an underground passage in the Haifa East area – which effectively creates a “new entrance” to the city through an infrastructure tunnel. According to Yazbak, this is an engineering feat that allows vital infrastructure to be moved underground and the area above it to be cleared for future development.
Instead of the existing railway, it would be possible to connect the Gulf Port to the Carmel Port via a lifting bridge or a short tunnel (about 200 meters) under the Kishon Estuary.
The new track did indeed cause significant damage to the city of Haifa, and here are the main problems:
Urban disconnect: The railway cuts off the area between Shemen Beach and Gesher Paz and the airport area and Kiryat Haim, harming urban continuity.
Loss of development: Valuable areas in the bay, near the checkpoint, are becoming unbuildable, which is losing the city enormous economic potential.
Environmental damage: The railway damages the beautiful areas of Kishon Park, reducing the possibility of expanding it.
Blocking the airport: The railway, which passes under the port entrance bridge, blocks the possibility of extending Haifa Airport towards the sea, which means there is no international airport.
The Gulf Port is part of a campaign by the Israel Ports Company to take over the Shemen coast and Haifa Bay area, and an attempt to steal tens of thousands of dunams from Haifa on land and by draining the sea, for the purpose of establishing a "seaport city" under its control, a complete megalomania that has so far only partially stopped in the annexation of the Gulf Port area to Haifa, after the High Court of Justice ruled on this issue.
The Gulf Port blocked Haifa's real connection to the world at an international airport with runways facing the sea, where there are now 8 giant cranes.
Billions have been invested in road and rail infrastructure to connect the Chinese port. Haifa residents gain nothing from this.
Very true, so what? Only a connection to an eastern railway along the country (parallel to Highway 6) will free Haifa from chemical trains passing through the lower city.
But we probably won't get that anytime soon.
By the way, residents of the city and the north and the airport island will benefit from direct access to the airport because the direct access to the port is via the same road. Among other things, this project upgraded roads such as Yigal Yadin and Julius Simon.