Highway 57 is an east-west highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 through central Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 and the West Bank

West Bank

The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...

. In the past, it was an uninterrupted road from Netanya

Netanya

Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...

, a city on the Mediterranean coast in the west, to Damia Bridge

Damia Bridge

The Damia Bridge, also known as the Adam Bridge , is a bridge over the Jordan River between the West Bank and Jordan. It is about 50 km north of Jericho and is the location of an Israeli border checkpoint....

 across the Jordan River in the east. The road existed in its full length from the time of the British Mandate, and parts of it are even older. Today the road is separated into three unconnected parts: the first from Netanya to Nitzanei Oz

Nitzanei Oz

Nitzanei Oz is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near the Green Line and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 811....

 interchange at Highway 6

Highway 6 (Israel)

Highway 6 , widely known as the Trans-Israel Highway or Cross-Israel Highway , is a major electronic toll highway in Israel. The highway was officially dedicated as the Yitzhak Rabin Highway , though this name is not commonly used. It started operating in the early 2000s and is being lengthened as...

, the second from there to an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint

Israel Defense Forces checkpoint

A Israel Defense Forces checkpoint, usually called an Israeli checkpoint , is a barrier erected by the Israel Defense Forces with the stated aim of enhancing the security of Israel and Israeli settlements and preventing those who wish to do harm from crossing...

 in Beka'ot

Beka'ot

Beka'ot is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley with an area of 1,800 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 171...

 in the northeastern West Bank

West Bank

The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...

, and the third from there until Damia Bridge. The middle portion of the road between Nitzanei Oz and Beka'ot passes through Tulkarm

Tulkarm

Tulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...

 and Nablus

Nablus

Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...

, and most of it is located in Area A and Area B controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Various restrictions on traffic exist in these areas.

Western portion of the route

The western portion of Route 57 is located entirely within Israel proper, and crosses the narrow strip of land between the Mediterranean coast and the Green Line

Green Line (Israel)

Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...

. It is 15 km long from Netanya to Tulkarm. The border between Israel and Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

 was located at Tulkarm between 1948 and 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank in the Six Day War. Today it is not possible to continue from Israel proper into Tulkarm because the Israeli West Bank barrier

Israeli West Bank barrier

The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...

 blocks the road, but it is possible to enter the Nitzanei Shalom industrial zone from the western (Israeli) side. This portion of the road is a divided highway with two lanes on each side.

Kilometers	Name	Location	Intersecting routes
Part 1: from Netanya to Nitzanei Oz interchange
0	Netanya mall	Netanya Netanya Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...	Petah Tikva Petah Tikva Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...  Street, Raziel David Raziel thumb|David RazielDavid Raziel was a fighter of the Jewish underground during the British mandate, and one of the founders of the Irgun.-Biography:...  Road, Herzl Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...  Road
0.6	Netanya interchange	Netanya	Highway 2 Highway 2 (Israel) Highway 2 is an Israeli highway located on the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea. It stretches from Tel Aviv to Haifa. The highway is also called The Coastal Highway or The New Haifa - Tel Aviv Highway ....
0.75	HaRakevet Road	Netanya	Entrance to Netanya Railway Station Netanya Railway Station Netanya Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station located in the city of Netanya and serves the city, with its large industrial zones, as well as other small communities in the area.-Location:...
1.45	Pinkas Street	Netanya	Pinkas David-Zvi Pinkas David-Zvi Pinkas was a Zionist activist and Israeli politician. A signatory of the Israeli declaration of independence, he was the country's third Minister of Transport.-Biography:...  Street
2.2	Deganya Road	Netanya	Deganya Degania -Further reading:* Gavron, Daniel. The Kibbutz: Awakening from Utopia. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000.-External links:* *, from the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive internet site...  Road
2.8	Beit Yitzhak	Beit Yitzhak	HaSharon Road
3.8	Ganot Hadar	Ganot Hadar Ganot Hadar Ganot Hadar is a communal settlement in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 682....	Entrance to Ganot Hadar and Gordiya
4.3	HaSharon Junction HaSharon Junction The HaSharon Junction , commonly known as Beit Lid Junction , is an important road junction in the Sharon region of Israel. It intersects Highway 4 and Highway 57...  ("Beit Lid")	Ganot Hadar Ganot Hadar Ganot Hadar is a communal settlement in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 682....	Highway 4 Highway 4 (Israel) Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Erez Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip...
6.2	Rabin Boulevard	Kfar Yona	Entrance to Kfar Yona
7.3	Begin Boulevard	Kfar Yona	Entrance to Kfar Yona
7.7	Ha'Atzmaut Street	Haniel Haniel Haniel , also known as Anael, Hanael or Aniel, is an angel in Jewish lore and angelology, and is often included in lists as being one of the seven archangels. Haniel is generally associated with the planet Venus, he is also the archangel of the Sephirah Netzach...	Entrance to Haniel
9.3	Yanuv junction	Yanuv Yanuv Yanuv is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Netanya and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 784....	Route 5613, entrance to Yanuv
10	HaErez Way	Tnuvot Tnuvot Tnuvot is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain between Netanya and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council...  industrial zone	Entrance to Tnuvot Tnuvot Tnuvot is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain between Netanya and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council...  and Burgata Burgata Burgata is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain on Highway 57 between Netanya and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hefer Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 929....
12	Be'erotayim junction	Hagor Hagor Hagor is a moshav in the Center District of Israel, located between Rosh HaAyin and Jaljulia. It is under the jurisdiction of the Drom HaSharon Regional Council. Hagor was founded in 1949.-Education:...	Entrance to Be'erotayim Be'erotayim Be'erotayim is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain and covering 3,500 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hefer Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 666....  and Ulash, Route 5614 toward Qalansawe Qalansawe Qalansawe also Qalansuwa is an Arab city in the Center District of Israel. According to Israel Central Bureau of Statistics statistics for the end of 2007, the total population was 18,500...
13.2	Nitzanei Oz junction	Nitzanei Oz Nitzanei Oz Nitzanei Oz is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near the Green Line and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 811....	Route 5714, entrance to Nitzanei Oz Nitzanei Oz Nitzanei Oz is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near the Green Line and Tulkarm, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 811....  and Yad Hana Yad Hana Yad Hana is a former kibbutz in the Sharon near Route 57, North-central Israel. Covering 2,600 dunams, it is located within the Hefer Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 208...
14.5	Nitzanei Oz interchange	Nitzanei Oz	Highway 6 Highway 6 (Israel) Highway 6 , widely known as the Trans-Israel Highway or Cross-Israel Highway , is a major electronic toll highway in Israel. The highway was officially dedicated as the Yitzhak Rabin Highway , though this name is not commonly used. It started operating in the early 2000s and is being lengthened as...
15	IDF Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...  checkpoint	Tulkarm Tulkarm Tulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...	Entrance to Nitzanei Shalom industrial zone

Central portion of the route

The second portion of the route, from Tulkarm

Tulkarm

Tulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...

 via Nablus

Nablus

Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...

 to Beka'ot junction, is a continuous road with one carriageway. In the first part from Tulkarm until Einav

Einav

Einav is a communal village and an Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank. Located on Highway 57 between Avnei Hefetz and Shavei Shomron, the religious Zionist and Orthodox Jewish community is within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council. Established in 1981 with the...

 junction it is open only to Palestinian

Palestinian people

The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...

 traffic, and it connects Tulkarm and surrounding villages to Nur a-Shams and Anabta

Anabta

Anabta is a Palestinian town in the Tulkarm Governorate in the northern West Bank, located 9 kilometers east of Tulkarm. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Anabta had a population of 7,300 inhabitants in 2006. Anabta is administered by a municipal council and is one of the...

, and from there to Nablus. This road roughly follows the path of Nahal Shekhem (Nahal means creek

Stream

A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...

).

Apparently the road previously passed through the center of the city of Tulkarm, but today it passes through the northern part of the city. This portion of the route served as part of the primary route connecting northern and central Israel before the construction of Highway 4

Highway 4 (Israel)

Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Erez Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip...

. This old route went from Haifa

Haifa

Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...

 south via Jenin

Jenin

Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...

, Tulkarm

Tulkarm

Tulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...

 and Qalqilya to Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...

.

For this part of the present-day route there is a bypass road designated for Israeli traffic that was constructed after the Oslo Accords

Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...

, Route 557. It bypasses the region from the south, and passes next to the communities of Qalansawe

Qalansawe

Qalansawe also Qalansuwa is an Arab city in the Center District of Israel. According to Israel Central Bureau of Statistics statistics for the end of 2007, the total population was 18,500...

, Tayibe

Tayibe

Tayibe is an Israeli Arab city in central Israel, 12 kilometers east of Kfar Saba. In 2007, it had a population of 36,800. Tayibe is part of the Triangle.-History:...

, Avnei Hefetz

Avnei Hefetz

Avnei Hefetz , is an Israeli settlement and a village located on the western edge of the northern West Bank. The village, under the administrative municipal government of the Shomron Regional Council, is located adjacent to Tulkarm, Einav and Sal'it...

, Shufa, Einav

Einav

Einav is a communal village and an Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank. Located on Highway 57 between Avnei Hefetz and Shavei Shomron, the religious Zionist and Orthodox Jewish community is within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council. Established in 1981 with the...

 and Beit Lid

Beit Lid

Beit Lid is a Palestinian town in the Tulkarm Governorate in the northeastern West Bank, located a few kilometers southwest of Tulkarm and west of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of over 5,900 inhabitants in mid-year 2006...

, and reunites with Highway 57 at Einav junction, next to an IDF checkpoint, located on the Palestinian part of the route. From Einav junction to Shavei Shomron

Shavei Shomron

Shavei Shomron is a communal village and an Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank, founded in 1977. Located to the west of Nablus on the road to Tulkarm, it is within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council. As of 2003, it had a population of 604, mostly religious...

 junction, the road is jointly accessible to Israelis and Palestinians. From Shavei Shomron to Nablus the traffic is again exclusively Palestinian. The road passes through Dir Sharf, Beit Iba checkpoint and the center of the city of Nablus, based on the path of Nahal Shekhem. From Nablus the road is a single carriageway, based on the path of Nahal Tirtza (Wadi al-Far'ah) which descends from Nablus into the Jordan Rift Valley

Jordan Rift Valley

The Jordan Rift Valley is an elongated depression located in modern-day Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. This geographic region includes the Jordan River, Jordan Valley, Hula Valley, Lake Tiberias and the Dead Sea, the lowest land elevation on Earth...

. In this portion until the IDF checkpoint at the moshav Beka'ot

Beka'ot

Beka'ot is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley with an area of 1,800 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 171...

 the traffic is exclusively limited to Palestinians.

Eastern portion of the route

From Beka'ot checkpoint, which stands at the junction of the northern Alon Highway (Route 578), the road continues along the path of Nahal Tirtza in a southeast direction. This area is under Israeli control and the road is jointly open to Israeli and Palestinian traffic. For a 2-km stretch the road overlaps with the Alon Highway, then separates from it at Hamra

Hamra, Bik'at HaYarden

Hamra is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley and covering 3,500 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council...

 junction, where the central Alon Highway (Route 508) begins. Highway 57 continues until the Damia Bridge

Damia Bridge

The Damia Bridge, also known as the Adam Bridge , is a bridge over the Jordan River between the West Bank and Jordan. It is about 50 km north of Jericho and is the location of an Israeli border checkpoint....

 over the Jordan River, which functions as a border crossing

Border Crossing

Border Crossing may refer to:* Border Crossing , an album by saxophonist Mike Osborne.* Border Crossing , a UK hip hop collective musical group.* Border Crossing , a 2001 novel by English author Pat Barker....

 for commerce between Israel and Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

.

Kilometers	Name	Location	Intersecting routes
Part 3: from Beka'ot junction to Damia Bridge
0	Beka'ot junction and IDF checkpoint	Hamra Hamra, Bik'at HaYarden Hamra is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley and covering 3,500 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council...	, Route 578
2	Hamra junction	Hamra Hamra, Bik'at HaYarden Hamra is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley and covering 3,500 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council...	Route 508 - this portion is part of the Alon Highway
4	Mekhura junction	Frosh Beit Daju	Entrance to Hamra
12	Adam junction	Masua Masua Masua is a moshav shitufi and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley with an area of 6,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council...  (moshav)	Highway 90
15	Border crossing	Next to Damia Bridge Damia Bridge The Damia Bridge, also known as the Adam Bridge , is a bridge over the Jordan River between the West Bank and Jordan. It is about 50 km north of Jericho and is the location of an Israeli border checkpoint....	Entrance to Damia Bridge