National Roads Company of Israel
Encyclopedia
The National Roads Company of Israel , also called National Roads Authority, is a government-owned corporation
, in charge of planning, construction and maintenance of most road
infrastructure
in Israel
, including roads, bridges and interchanges.
The National Road Company is the successor of the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Ministry of Transportation (PWD in ), which was founded in 1921. On September 15, 2003 it was decided to reorganize Ma'atz and reconstitute it as a new government-owned corporation that would start operation on January 1, 2004. Since becoming the National Roads Company, the company usually no longer directly constructs new roads but rather plans then issues tenders for and manages new roads' construction by companies in the private sector. Beginning in 2010, the company has also been tasked with planning, issuing tenders for, and managing the construction of new railway lines for Israel Railways
.
6500 kilometers of roads fall under the company's responsibility. These constitute most of the inter-city roads in Israel. Other companies responsible for inter-city roads are Yefe Nof in Haifa
, Netivei Ayalon in Gush Dan
and Moriah in Jerusalem, as well as Derekh Eretz which is responsible for the Cross-Israel Highway
and Netivei Yovel responsible for Highway 431. The budget of the company for 2008 was 2.805 billion
shekel
s, 800 million
of which were dedicated to road maintenance. The budget is expected to rise to 3.88 billion in 2009.
The National Road Company still uses a logo with the three letters mem
-ayin
-tsade
on it, which spell out "Ma'atz" and is still often widely referred to by that acronym, even though it is no longer officially named the "Public Works Department".
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
, in charge of planning, construction and maintenance of most road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, including roads, bridges and interchanges.
The National Road Company is the successor of the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Ministry of Transportation (PWD in ), which was founded in 1921. On September 15, 2003 it was decided to reorganize Ma'atz and reconstitute it as a new government-owned corporation that would start operation on January 1, 2004. Since becoming the National Roads Company, the company usually no longer directly constructs new roads but rather plans then issues tenders for and manages new roads' construction by companies in the private sector. Beginning in 2010, the company has also been tasked with planning, issuing tenders for, and managing the construction of new railway lines for Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
.
6500 kilometers of roads fall under the company's responsibility. These constitute most of the inter-city roads in Israel. Other companies responsible for inter-city roads are Yefe Nof in 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...
, Netivei Ayalon in Gush Dan
Gush Dan
The Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area , or Gush Dan , is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. The area is closely linked to the city of Tel Aviv through social, economic, and cultural ties. It is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline...
and Moriah in Jerusalem, as well as Derekh Eretz which is responsible for the Cross-Israel Highway
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...
and Netivei Yovel responsible for Highway 431. The budget of the company for 2008 was 2.805 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
shekel
Shekel
Shekel , is any of several ancient units of weight or of currency. The first usage is from Mesopotamia around 3000 BC. Initially, it may have referred to a weight of barley...
s, 800 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
of which were dedicated to road maintenance. The budget is expected to rise to 3.88 billion in 2009.
The National Road Company still uses a logo with the three letters mem
Mem
Mem is the thirteenth letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic...
-ayin
Ayin
' or ' is the sixteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic . It is the twenty-first letter in the new Persian alphabet...
-tsade
Tsade
' is the eighteenth letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew ' and Arabic ' . Its oldest sound value is probably , although there is a variety of pronunciation in different modern Semitic languages and their dialects...
on it, which spell out "Ma'atz" and is still often widely referred to by that acronym, even though it is no longer officially named the "Public Works Department".