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Highway 38 (Israel)

Coordinates: 31°42′06″N 34°56′53″E / 31.70167°N 34.94806°E / 31.70167; 34.94806
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Highway 38
[כביש 38
Kvish Shloshim u'Shmoneh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Route information
Length29 km (18 mi)
Major junctions
South endNehusha Junction
Major intersections
  • HaEla Junction
  • Ramat Beit Shemesh Junction
  • Beit Shemesh Junction
  • Shimshon Interchange
North endSha'r HaGai Interchange
Location
CountryIsrael
Major citiesBeit Shemesh
Highway system

Highway 38 is an arterial road in the low plains of Judea in Israel. It serves as the main access route to Beit Shemesh and as a main north-south route in the region. Along the route are many nature preserves and archeological sites.

Route

Highway 38 travels in a north-northeast direction as it winds through the western foothills of the Judaean Mountains from Highway 35 at Nehusha Junction near Beit Guvrin to Highway 1 at Sha'ar HaGai Interchange.

Along many stretches, it follows small valleys formed by northward turns of westward streams emanating from the mountains to the east, notably, the Yoresh, Hakhlil, Yarmut and Kisalon Streams. Between the stream valleys and north of Eshtaol the road rises and falls as it crosses the many east-west ridges.

History

From biblical times the road is mentioned in 1 Samuel 6:12 as the route taken by the Philistines returning the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites in Beth-Shemesh.

During the Roman Era, the road was an important route as evidenced by milestones found near Givat Yeshayahu as part of the road from Ashkelon via Highway 35 to Beit Guvrin, northward along Highway 38, then westward via the Elah Valley to Jerusalem.[1]

In 1948, the Latrun section of Highway 1 was taken over by Jordan. Traffic between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was diverted to a new route called "Kvish HaGvura" (Road of Bravery) of which Highway 38 served as the connection between Highway 44 at Shimshon Junction and Highway 1 at Sha'ar HaGai. This section of the road was straightened and widened in 1960.[2]

At the end of 2012, the National Roads Company of Israel published tenders to upgrade the northern section of the road creating a divided highway with two lanes in each direction between Beit Shemesh and Sha'ar HaGai. The government granted approval on 6 June 2013. The approval was made through the special "Housing Cabinet" since the road's expansion is a condition for plans to build an additional apartments and homes in Beit Shemesh.[3][4][5]

The newly rebuilt highway costing 800M shekels was inaugurated in September, 2017. Bridge interchanges at Naham/Hartuv, Shimshon Junction/Eshtaol and Mesilat Zion[6] with tunnel interchanges at the Sha'ar HaGai Caravanserai and the Burma Road were completed. A wildlife bridge was built near Mesilat Zion and the road was raised to overpass the railway tracks at Beit Shemesh. The road includes highway lighting and bicycle paths along its entire length. The upgrade of the once relatively unsafe road into a modern highway will significantly cut travel time between Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and allow the area's population to grow significantly.[7][8]

Junctions & Interchanges (south to north)

Valley of Elah woodland
Beit Jimal Monastery
Tel Beit Shemesh overlooking modern city
Beit Shemesh Railway Station
Eshta'ol
Mahal Memorial on the Burma Road
Sha'ar HaGai Caravanserai (Ottoman Khan)
km Name Type Meaning Location Road(s) crossed
0 צומת נחושה
(Nehusha Junction) 		Steadfast Beit Guvrin Highway 35
4.7 צומת מושב נחושה
(Moshav Nehusha Junction) 		named after location Nehusha local road
7.3 Mitzpe Mesu'a,
Adullam Grove
Nature Reserve,
Hurbat Atari
Archeological Site,
Hurbat Burgin
Archeological Site 		local roads
7.8 צומת שריגים
(Srigim Junction) 		Shoots Le-On,
Givat Yeshayahu,
Tzafririm 		Route 353
Route 3544
8.4 Givat Yeshayahu local road
9.3 Srigim Cemetery local road
10.1 צומת האלה
(HaEla Junction) 		Named after
biblical location
Valley of the Terebinth[9] 		Valley of Elah,
Netiv HaLamed-Heh,
Sha'arayim
Archeological Site,
Socoh
Archeological Site 		Route 375
11.9 צומת עזקה
(Azeka Junction) 		Named after
biblical location[10] 		Azekah
Archeological Site,
Britannia Park 		Highway 383
12.7 צומת זכריה
(Zekharya Junction) 		Named after
biblical character
Zechariah 		Zekharia local Road
15.2 צומת רמת בית שמש
(Ramat Bet Shemesh Junction) 		Beit Shemesh Heights Beit Shemesh Nahal Nove'a St.
16.7 צומת בית ג'מאל
(Beit Jamal Junction) 		Named after
biblical character
Gamaliel 		Beit Jimal Monastery local Road
17.2 צומת ברוש
(Brosh Junction) 		Cypress Brosh West
Industrial Area 		Virginia St.
18.6 צומת בית שמש דרום
(Bet Shemesh Darom Junction) 		South Beit Shemesh Beit Shemesh Yehuda Ben Ze'ev Blvd.
18.7 צומת ישעי
(Yishi Junction) 		My Salvation Yish'i local Road
19.1 Tel Beit Shemesh
Archeological Site 		local road
20.2 צומת בית שמש
(Bet Shemesh Junction) 		House of the Sun Beit Shemesh, Tzora Yigal Allon Ave. Road 3835
20.9 צומת הרטוב (Hartuv Junction) Beit Shemesh Route 3855
(Beit Shemesh Rd 10)[11]
22.1 מחלף הרטוב
(Hartuv Interchange) 		Mount of Goodness Hartuv
Industrial Area A 		HaTa'asiya St,
to Eretz HaHaim Cemetery,
to Naham Cemetery
23 מחלף שמשון
(Shimshon Interchange)
Named after
biblical character
Samson 		Eshtaol Highway 44,
Eshtaol,
to Route 395
23.3 (northbound only) Eshtaol filling station,
strip mall
26 מחלף מסילת ציון
(Mesilat Ziyon Interchange) 		Track of Zion Mesilat Zion Cochin St.
26.7 (northbound only) National Forest local road
28.3 מחלף דרך בורמה
(Burma Road Interchange) 		Burma Road,
Mahal Memorial,[12]
Rabin Park
National Forest,
to Sha'ar HaGai
Caravanserai
(Historic Preserve)[13] 		local road
filling station
28.9 מחלף שער הגיא
(Sha'ar HaGai Interchange)
Gate of the Valley Sha'ar HaGai Highway 1

References

  1. ^ "Valley of Elah - Roman Road". biblewalks.com. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  2. ^ "Fixing the Eshta'ol-Sha'ar HaGai Road". Historical Jewish Press. Retrieved 2011-12-07.(in Hebrew)
  3. ^ David Lev (2013-06-06). "Road 38 to Beit Shemesh to be Expanded; 20,000 Homes to be Built". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  4. ^ "Tender for Highway 38 upgrade to be released immediately". National Roads Company of Israel. Retrieved 2011-12-07.(in Hebrew)
  5. ^ "Highway 38 - between Sha'ar HaGai and Beit Shemesh". National Roads Company of Israel. Archived from the original on 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2011-12-07.(in Hebrew)
  6. ^ Street View northbound on Higheway 38 - Mesilat Zion Interchange (Map). Google Maps. October 2017. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  7. ^ Dror Halavy (2017-08-09). "PM Inaugurates New, Upgraded Beit Shemesh Access Highway". HaModia. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  8. ^ "Road 38 opens". Yediot Aharonot. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2018-04-19.(in Hebrew)
  9. ^ 1 Samuel 17:19
  10. ^ 1 Samuel 17:1
  11. ^ "Road 10 - Beit Shemesh Bypass". National Roads Company of Israel. Retrieved 2011-12-07.(in Hebrew)
  12. ^ "Machal1947-9 - Mahal - History". Mahal IDF Volunteers Org. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  13. ^ "Rabin Park". Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund. Retrieved 2020-06-07.

See also

31°42′06″N 34°56′53″E / 31.70167°N 34.94806°E / 31.70167; 34.94806

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