Highway 2 | |
---|---|
כביש החוף Kvish HaHof כביש חיפה - תל אביב החדש Kvish Haifa–Tel Aviv HaHadash |
|
The Coastal Highway The New Haifa–Tel Aviv Highway |
|
Route information | |
Length: | 90 km (60 mi) |
Major junctions | |
South end: | Tel Aviv (Kibbutz Galuyot Interchange) |
North end: | Haifa (Haifa Darom Interchange) |
Location | |
Major cities: | Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Netanya, Hadera, Tirat Carmel, Haifa |
Highway system | |
Highways |
Highway 2 (Hebrew: כביש 2, Kvish 2) is an Israeli highway located on the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea. It begins as a major arterial road within Tel Aviv, becoming a freeway as it exits the city northward continuing to Haifa. North of Tel Aviv, the highway is also called The Coastal Highway (Hebrew: כביש החוף, Kvish HaHof) or The New Haifa–Tel Aviv Highway (Hebrew: כביש חיפה - תל אביב החדש, Kvish Heifa–Tel Aviv HaHadash).
Highway 2 is one of the busiest highways in the country, and drivers experience frequent traffic congestion between Hadera and Tel Aviv during rush hours. The northern sections are also congested at times, especially during weekends and holidays, when many Israelis travel north for vacation.
The first section of the highway between Tel Aviv and Netanya was built in the early 1950s as a two lane road with at-grade intersections. The next section was built later that decade, extending the highway north to Olga Junction in Hadera. This section was also built as a two lane road. In 1965 the highway was widened to four lanes between Tel Aviv and Hadera, however grade separations were not built at this point.