Minister of Transportation: "Netivei Israel will begin planning the interchange in the Haifa area"

On Tuesday, 13/5/25, Minister of Transportation (res. Brigadier General) Miri Regev visited the Carmel Beach and joined a field tour and a working meeting with the council's professional representatives. Among the topics discussed were the arrangement of intersections on Highway 4, the southern interchange to Atlit, and the expansion of the Highway 721 interchange.

On Tuesday, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Miri Regev and her team toured the Carmel Beach. They were accompanied by Council Chairman Assif Isaac and his deputy Osher Vaknin, Council Engineer Assaf Vaknin, and representatives of the Atlit community – Village Director Itamar Shorki and Local Committee Chairman Itai Shafran.

The meeting began on the Neve Yam Bridge, from where the participants viewed the area where the council's leadership is demanding the construction of a southern interchange to Atlit. This was followed by a working meeting between the professional teams of the council and the Ministry of Transportation, during which several topics were discussed: continuing to regulate the intersections along Highway 4; construction of a southern interchange in Atlit; widening Highway 721, and more.

Minister of Transportation Regev:

We understand the main problems in the area and in Atlit, and therefore we made a historic decision, after many years in which it was not made – to start planning the southern interchange in Atlit, so that in the future we can allow the settlement and the entire surrounding area an additional connection to Highway 2. This is important and essential in light of the growth in Atlit, both in terms of residences and businesses. In addition, we will complete the expansion of the northern interchange, and the arrangement of the settlement junctions on Highway 4 – Ein Carmel, Nachsholim-Dor, and more. Thank you to the head of the council and his team for the important visit.

The Minister and her team concluded the visit with a number of very significant pieces of news for the residents of the Carmel Coast and the entire region, the most significant of which is the historic decision to begin planning the southern interchange in Atlit, which will be designed by my company Netivei Israel. The northern interchange in Atlit, whose design has long been completed, will also be budgeted and can move to the implementation phase. In addition, the Minister announced the continuation of the arrangement of Highway 4 interchanges in the council's settlements: Ein Carmel Intersection, Dor-Nachshulim Intersection, Yamin Ored Intersection and Magdim Intersection.

Head of the Council Asif Isaac:

I would like to thank Sarah and her team, on behalf of all the residents of the area. This is a holiday for Atlit, the Carmel Coast, and the entire region. After almost 7 years in which we pushed for the construction of the interchange, Minister Regev has for the first time removed the Ministry of Transportation's opposition, and announced that the planning of the interchange will be underway. This is a dramatic decision that will significantly affect the lives of all residents of the area. The additional decisions that were made – regulating the Highway 4 interchanges in Atlit and advancing the budget for the northern interchange in Atlit – are decisions that will save lives and improve the quality of life of all residents of the area.