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Kerem Tunnel Kerem Tunnel offers an unforgettable adventure on foot and in the saddle to the benefit of

The Kerem Tunnel is the first bike tunnel to be constructed in Israel and was inaugurated as a part of the Jerusalem Ring Path, a 42-kilometer cycle route that circles the capital.

It links Nahal Refaim to Emek Motza. Its southern entrance is in Refaim Park, below Ein Laban and its northern entrance is in Nahal Ein Kerem, about half a mile close to the Kerem junction.

The 2.1-kilometers-long tunnel was officially opened during a celebration held on Thursday that was attended by Jerusalem and Heritage Minister Ze’ev Elkin Mayor Moshe Lion, Gihon water company chairman Avi Baleshnikov, and a slew of cyclists.

נווה פריצקי Jerusalem was a popular tourist destination because of its glorious past. Elkin stated that the present along with its historic treasures the tunnel construction project incorporates modern-day tourism. “The inauguration[of] the tunnel project is a different aspect of the development Jerusalem and its transformation to an attractive tourism destination for all throughout Israel and around the world.

Elkin his ministry, which together with the Jerusalem Municipality spearheaded the project, explained that his ministry “invests hundreds of millions of shekels each year in the improvement of Jerusalem’s tourism in all its aspects and also in the development of exciting tourist attractions and ventures that link the glorious historical past of our capital city to its future… I would like to invite cyclists to join us and take a ride along a modern and well-maintained cycling route that offers a view of the unique landscape of Old Jerusalem.”

About NIS 25 million were invested in the project, budgeted by Elkin’s ministry as well as the Tourism Ministry, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Gihon Corporation and the Jerusalem Purification and Sewerage Works, as well as the work done by the Jerusalem Development Authority.

Elkin stressed the fact that “The Kerem Tunnel Project is the central instrument to achieve the vision to redefine the idea of transport throughout Jerusalem.” “The tunnel, which will connect to the lengthy Jerusalem Ring Path, will connect the existing bike paths in the city and those that will be paved throughout the city’s neighborhoods with the aim of encouraging cycling among the city’s residents as well as its visitors, and also encouraging the green revolution of transportation in Jerusalem.”

In the late 1990s, the Kerem Tunnel was excavated to relocate the main sewer line of Gihon Corporation to the Sorek purification plant. It is currently used for infrastructure purposes. It also houses the fifth water line that connects to Jerusalem by the Mekorot water company.

“The Kerem tunnel is a vital tool in achieving the dream of transforming Jerusalem’s transport system. ”

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe León

The works currently underway include road construction, installation of blowers and advanced electrical and safety systems, to ensure the tunnel is safe for the public to pass through at all times of the year.

The Kerem Tunnel also allows access to unique recreation spots such as the Ein Kerem neighborhood, the biblical zoo, aquarium and the along with the historic natural springs of Ein Laban and Ein Haniyeh.