Neve Paritzki (נווה פריצקי)Jerusalem is home to the world's first bicycle tunnel in Israel.

· 2 min read
Neve Paritzki (נווה פריצקי)Jerusalem is home to the world's first bicycle tunnel in Israel.

The Kerem Tunnel provides a unique adventure in hiking and riding that is to be enjoyed by everyone.
The Kerem Tunnel, the first cycle tunnel in Israel was opened as part of the Jerusalem Ring Path, a 42-kilometer cycle route that circles Jerusalem, Israel's capital city.

The tunnel links Nahal Refaim and Emek Motza. It has a southern entrance in Refaim Park. Ein Laban is the nearest. Nahal Ein Kerem is the northern entrance.

On Thursday, Jerusalem and Heritage Minister Zeev Elkin, Mayor Moshelion, Avi Baleshnikov, Gihon chairman, and a slew of cyclists were present at a celebration to officially open the tunnel's 2.1-kilometer-long length.



https://nevefrietzki.co.il/ "In the past, Jerusalem was an attractive tourist city because of its rich history. Elkin said that today, apart from its rich history, Jerusalem also incorporates modern tourists. "The inauguration [of] this tunnel is a further milestone in the advancement of Jerusalem as a tourism destination for all kinds of people throughout Israel and all over the world."

Elkin, who heads the project in conjunction with Jerusalem Municipality said that his ministry invests hundreds of millions in the development of Jerusalem's tourism and the development of innovative tourist attractions and ventures that connect the rich history of Jerusalem to its future. I invite you to ride your bicycles along a stunning maintained, well-maintained path that looks out over Old Jerusalem.

The project was financed by Elkin's ministry as well as the Tourism Ministry. It also included the budgets for the Jerusalem Municipality and the Gihon Corporation. The work was completed by the Jerusalem Development Authority.

Elkin stated that the Kerem Tunnel project is an important tool in realizing the vision to transform the idea of transport throughout Jerusalem. "The new tunnel that connects to the Jerusalem Ring Path will join the existing bike paths as well as ones that are paved in its areas. It is intended to encourage biking within the city's residents and to promote the green revolution in transport in the capital."

The Kerem Tunnel was originally excavated in 1990 in order to transfer the main sewer from Gihon Corporation towards the Sorek purification facility. This plant is located west of Sorek and is still used as an infrastructure tunnel.

"The Kerem Tunnel project is an essential tool for achieving the goal of transforming Jerusalem's transportation model. "

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe León
To make the tunnel usable to the public all year round, the works include road construction as well as the installation of blowers.

The Kerem Tunnel gives you access to many recreation sites, including Ein Kerem Neighborhood, the Biblical Zoo and Aquarium and also historic natural springs Ein Haniyeh or Ein Laban.