The Kerem Tunnel is a great spot to hike and ride.

As part of the 42-kilometer Jerusalem Ring Path cycling route that surrounds Jerusalem’s capital, the Kerem Tunnel was inaugurated.

The tunnel connects the path between Nahal Refaim and Emek Motza. The southern entrance of the tunnel is below Ein Laban in Refaim Park. The northern entrance is located in Nahal Ein Kerem.

The 2.1-kilometer long tunnel was officially opened on Thursday by Jerusalem and the heritage minister Ze’ev Elkin and Mayor Moshe Lion. Avi Baleshnikov of Gihon Chairman of Gihon as well as a multitude of cyclists were also present.

Jerusalem was once a tourist attraction because of its rich past. Today, apart from its historic treasures the city also offers modern tourism,” Elkin said. “The opening (of this tunnel project) is an additional part of the growth of Jerusalem as well as its transformation into a desirable tourist destination for all kinds of people throughout Israel as well as across the globe.”

Elkin, whose ministry together with the Jerusalem Municipality spearheaded the project, stated that the ministry “invests hundreds of millions of shekels every year in the development of Jerusalem’s tourism in all its aspects and in the creation of exciting activities and ventures that connect the rich history of our eternal capital to its future… I would like to invite cyclists to ride along a the modern, well-maintained cycling route that overlooks the distinctive landscape of Old Jerusalem.

About NIS 25 million were earmarked in the project. נווה פריצקי It was budgeted by the Elkin’s Ministry as well as the Tourism Ministry, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Gihon Corporation and the Jerusalem Purification and Sewerage Works, with the work carried out by the Jerusalem Development Authority.

“The Kerem Tunnel project is a central tool for realizing the idea to transform the idea of transportation throughout Jerusalem,” Elkin emphasized. “The new tunnel, which is connected to the Jerusalem Ring Path, will connect with existing cycle paths in the city as well as those that are being constructed in its diverse neighborhood. The tunnel is intended to encourage bicycle riding within its inhabitants, and to promote an environmentally sustainable transportation system in Jerusalem.”

In the late 1990s, in the 1990s, Kerem Tunnel was excavated to transfer the main sewer line from Gihon Corporation to the Sorek purification plant. It is currently used for infrastructure purposes and is also home to the fifth water line that connects to Jerusalem from the Mekorot water company.

“The Kerem tunnel is a crucial tool for achieving the vision to transform Jerusalem’s transportation system. ”

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe León

The current works include road construction, the installation of blowers and advanced electrical and safety systems, to make the tunnel safe for the public to pass through throughout the year.

The Kerem Tunnel allows for access to unique recreation areas, such as Ein Kerem, a neighborhood which has a Biblical zoo and aquarium and also the historical natural springs Ein Haniyeh and Ein Laban.