After many years in which thousands of drivers traveled in darkness, most of the lighting installation work on Highway 465, the Binyamin Crossing Highway, one of the central and strategic roads in the area, was completed this week.
This is a significant and complex infrastructure process that the Binyamin Council has been promoting for years, which began in 2022, as part of a systematic effort to reduce decades-old infrastructure gaps in Judea and Samaria.
During the week, most of the work on continuous lighting of the section between the British Police Intersection and the Rentis Intersection, covering approximately 30 kilometers, was completed. In the near future, work will also be completed on the missing sections, until lighting is completed along the entire axis.
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Highway 465 serves as a central transportation artery connecting the settlements of Gush Talmonim and the west of the council to Route 60 and the settlements in the east.
For years, the road suffered from a lack of lighting, which made night driving difficult and posed a safety risk. Installing advanced lighting systems along the road brings with it a significant improvement in safety and the quality of travel.
The project is considered particularly complex, due, among other things, to the terrain conditions, safety aspects, and coordination between many entities.
The Binyamin Council notes that this is a move that has been pushed for years, and its success was made possible thanks to close cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation, the Israel Roads Company, and the Electric Company, to whom special thanks are extended for their mobilization and professional guidance.
Minister of Transportation Miri Regev: “Highway 465 is a major lifeline for the residents of Binyamin, and it is impossible that in 2026 citizens will travel dozens of kilometers in the dark and at risk. Road safety is a national priority, and lighting the road is a life-saving step that corrects a long-standing injustice.
""The policy that I have been guiding since the day I returned to the Ministry of Transportation is to reduce infrastructure gaps in all parts of the country, including Judea and Samaria, and to ensure that every driver and every family travels on safe, well-lit and advanced roads. I will continue to work together with our partners to illuminate, connect and strengthen the settlement and transportation in Benjamin, Judea and Samaria, the Jordan Valley and throughout the State of Israel.".
The head of the Binyamin Council and the chairman of the Yesha Council, Israel Gantz, arrived this week to turn on the light on the road and take a closer look at the work on the axis.
During the visit, he said: "As soon as I took office, I heard from residents about a difficult driving experience on a dark and safety-challenging road. It was clear to me that this was a road that must be lit. Today we get to see the light actually come on.".
Gantz added: "This project is part of a broad initiative that we are leading in Binyamin. We are privileged to continue to illuminate Binyamin, consolidate our hold on the territory, and upgrade the roads in Binyamin to the standard accepted in all parts of the country. I thank the Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, the Director General of Netivei Yisrael Nissim Peretz, and the Director General of the Ministry of Electricity Meir Spiegler. We will continue to work determinedly to improve the infrastructure and the quality of life of the residents, and to ensure that every family travels on safe and well-lit roads.".
