Highway 6 (Israel)

The highway is officially dedicated the Yitzhak Rabin Highway (Hebrew: כביש יצחק רבין‎, Kvish Yitzḥak Rabin), though this name is not commonly used. It began operating in 2002 and continues to be lengthened as construction proceeds on newer sections. The southern terminus is at Shoket Interchange, opened in November 2016.[2] The northern terminus is the Tel Kashish Interchange, opened on November 14, 2018, where the highway now merges into Highway 70 heading northwest. Another northern extension to Somech Interchange is expected to open in early 2019.[3]

The aim of the Highway is to provide an efficient north–south transportation corridor in the country while allowing drivers to bypass the traffic-congested Tel Aviv region, located in the center of the country. Thus it is the easternmost major highway in Israel, in some places located almost right on the Green Line. Currently the highway is 167 km long, all of which is a controlled-access highway. This figure will grow in the next few years as additional segments are extended both northward and southward from the existing section of the road. As of 2013 some segments were under construction while others were undergoing statutory approvals and permitting processes.

Highway 6 uses a system of cameras and transponders to toll vehicles automatically. There are no toll booths, allowing it to operate as a normal freeway with interchanges. A radio antenna detects when a vehicle with a transponder has entered and exited the highway, calculating the toll rate. For vehicles without a transponder, an automatic license plate recognition system is used. Monthly statements are mailed to users. Highway 6 is based on the technology of the Highway 407 in Ontario, Canada developed by Raytheon.

The pricing scheme is based on the number of segments a driver passes in a given trip. Each segment is the road span between two interchanges. As of April 2018, the pricing for up to 3 segments was 19.78 NIS, 23.83 NIS for 4 segments, and 27.88 NIS for 5 or more segments. An additional fee is paid when driving through the "northern" segment, the cost of which is additional 5.74 NIS. Pricing for motorcycles and heavy vehicles such as trucks is different.[4]

The price above is discounted for drivers who register with Highway 6's operator and install the in-vehicle transponder unit (called a "Passkal", lit. "easy-pass") to record their highway usage. When a vehicle does not have a transponder, its license plate is scanned and the vehicle identified. Drivers who pre-register their license plate with the operator and establish a direct billing relationship also receive a discounted rate (though they pay more than those who have installed a "Passkal"). If a license plate is not located in Highway 6's database, the bill is sent to the owner of the vehicle according to the car registration with the Israeli Ministry of Transportation. Such a vehicle pays the highest rate.

The licensed road operator, Derech Eretz, operates a fleet of service vehicles that patrol the entire length of the highway and assist drivers in need. Since it is technically a private road, the road operator is required to pay the Israel police for traffic enforcement.

All the existing (and planned) segments of Highway 6 south of Sorek interchange are free in both directions, as is the segment between Ben Shemen and Daniel interchanges, where Highway 6 merges with Highway 1.

In March 2006, Derech Eretz reported a profit of 89 million NIS for 2005, an increase of 56% from 2004, on income of 779 million NIS, an increase of 137% from 2004.

At the end of 2005:

• about 500,000 registered subscribers (one subscriber can own multiple vehicles),
• 1.36 million individual users (increase from 1.1 million users),
• 21 million trips,
• 80% of trips are by subscribers,
• Bill collection success rate was 97%.

The highway's kilometer count starts at 30, since it includes the planned southern extensions.

km	Name	Type	Meaning	Location	Road(s) Crossed
planned
0	צומת הנגב (HaNegev Junction)		Named after Negev Desert	Ir HaBahadim (u.c.)	Highway 40 Route 224
19	מחלף נבטים (Nevatim Interchange)		Named after location	Nevatim	Highway 25
30	מחלף שוקת (Shoket Interchange)		Water trough	Tel Shoket	Highway 31 Highway 60
40	מחלף להבים (Lehavim Interchange)		Flames	Lehavim	Route 310
55.5	מחלף קמה (Kama Interchange)		Cereal grain	Beit Kama	Highway 40 Route 293
66	מחלף מאחז (Ma'ahaz Interchange)		Named after nearby Ma'ahaz Stream	Beit Kama	Highway 40 (southbound)
76	מחלף קרית גת (Kiryat Gat Interchange)		Named after location	Kiryat Gat	Highway 35
100	מחלף שורק (Sorek Interchange)		Named after nearby Brook of Sorek	Yad Binyamin	Highway 3 Highway 7 (westbound)
planned
106	מחלף חולדה (Hulda Interchange)		Named after location	Hulda	Route 411
111	Petrol and rest area			Na'an	both directions
114	מחלף נשרים (Nesharim Interchange)		Named after nearby Nesher Cement factory	Ramla	Highway 431 Highway 44 Route 424
118	מחלף דניאל (Daniel Interchange)		Named after location	Kfar Daniel	Highway 1 (westbound)
122	מחלף בן שמן (Ben Shemen Interchange)		Named after location	Ben Shemen	Highway 1 (eastbound) Route 443 Route 444
123	tunnels 4 lanes, 450 metres			Tel Hadid
123	bridge 2 lanes, 300 metres			Tel Hadid
124	bridge 2 lanes, 170 metres			Beit Nehemiah
planned
133	מחלף גבעת כ"ח (Giv'at Koah Interchange)		Named after location	Giv'at Koah	Route 444 Route 461
137	מחלף נחשונים (Nahshonim Interchange)		Named after location	Nahshonim	Route 471
142	מחלף קסם (Kessem Interchange)		Named after nearby Kafr Qasim	Rosh HaAyin	Highway 5 Route 444
145	מחלף חורשים (Horshim Interchange)		Named after location	Horshim	Route 531 (westbound) Road 5233
153	מחלף אייל (Eyal Interchange)		Named after location	Eyal	Route 551
166	מחלף ניצני עוז (Nitzanei Oz Interchange)		Named after location	Nitzanei Oz	Highway 57 (westbound)
174	Petrol and rest area			Lehavot Haviva	both directions
177	מחלף באקה (Baqa Interchange)		Named after location	Baqa al-Gharbiyye	Highway 61 (westbound)
186	מחלף עירון (Iron Interchange)		Named after nearby Iron Stream	Barkai	Highway 65
194.5	tunnels 2 lanes, 350 metres			Giv'at Nili
200	מחלף עין תות (Ein Tut Interchange)		Named after nearby Nahal Tut	Elyakim	Highway 67
202.5	מחלף אליקים (Elyakim Interchange)		ult. Jehoiakim	Elyakim	Highway 70
206	tunnels 4 lanes, 310 metres			Yokneam Illit
209	מחלף תל קשיש (Tel Qashish Interchange)		Named after location	Tel Qashish	Highway 70 Highway 77
216.5	מחלף שער העמקים (Sha'ar HaAmakim Interchange)		Gate of the valleys	Sha'ar HaAmakim Kiryat Tiv'on	Highway 75 Highway 70
219.5	tunnels 4 lanes, 2,000 meters			Rekhasim
220.5	tunnels 4 lanes, 400 meters			Ibtin
221	מחלף איבטין (Ibtin Interchange)		Named after location	Ibtin	Route 762
222	מחלף גבעות אלונים (givot alonim Interchange)		ult. Tribe of Zebulun	Khawaled	Highway 70
227	מחלף סומך (Somech Interchange)		ult. Semikhah[5]	Kiryat Ata	Highway 79 Highway 70
planned
228	מחלף אבליים (Avlayim Interchange)		Named after location	Shfar'am I'billin	Route 781 Highway 70
240	מחלף יאסיף-אחיהוד (Yasif-Ahihud Interchange)		Named after location	Kafr Yasif Ahihud	Highway 85 Highway 70
252	מחלף כברי (Kabri Interchange)		Named after nearby	Kabri	Highway 89
260	מחלף שלומי (Shlomi Interchange)		ult. Shelomi, father of Ahihud	Shlomi Betzet	Route 899

• Official website of "Derech Eretz Highways Management Corporation Ltd" (road operator) (in Hebrew)
• Official website of "Trans-Israel Highway Corporation Ltd" (planning and construction) (in Hebrew)
• Driving on Highway 6 Video journey on YouTube