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

The Kerem Tunnel is the first bike tunnel to be constructed in Israel and was inaugurated as part of the Jerusalem Ring Path, a 42-kilometer cycle path that runs around the capital.

The tunnel links Nahal Refaim with Emek Motza. Its southern entrance is in Refaim Park under Ein Laban. The northern entry, Nahal Ein Kerem, is just half a kilometer away from the Nahal Ein Kerem junction.

On Thursday, Jerusalem and Heritage Minister Zeev Elkin, Mayor Moshelion, Avi Baleshnikov, Gihon chairman and hundreds of cyclists participated in a ceremony to officially open the tunnel’s 2.1-kilometer-long length.

Jerusalem was once a popular tourist attraction due to its rich past. Elkin declared that, in the present, apart from its rich history, Jerusalem also incorporates modern tourists. “The opening of this tunnel is a further milestone in the advancement of Jerusalem as a tourism destination for all kinds of travelers in Israel and all over the world.”

Elkin who is in charge of the project together with Jerusalem Municipality said that his ministry invests hundreds of millions in the city’s tourism growth and the development of innovative attractions and ventures that link the glory historical past of Jerusalem to the future. I encourage the cycling community to enjoy a safe and modern-day route that takes the cyclist through Old Jerusalem.

Around NIS 25 million were put into in the project, budgeted by Elkin’s ministry The Tourism Ministry, the Jerusalem Municipality as well as the Gihon Corporation and the Jerusalem Purification and Sewerage Works, as well as the work done by the Jerusalem Development Authority.

Elkin said that “The Kerem Tunnel Project is an essential tool for achieving the goal to transform the concept of transport throughout Jerusalem.” “The tunnel, which is connected to the long Jerusalem Ring Path, will join the existing bicycle routes in the city as well as the ones that will be laid in its various neighborhoods, to encourage cycling among the city’s residents as well as its visitors and in promoting the green revolution in transportation in the capital city.”

The Kerem Tunnel, originally excavated by the Gihon Corporation in the 1990s in order to transfer its main sewer line towards Sorek’s purification plant.

“The Kerem Tunnel Project is essential to realize the goal of transforming the concept of transportation throughout Jerusalem. ”

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe León

The current works include road construction, installation of blowers, as well as advanced security and electrical systems to make the tunnel safe for pedestrians to travel through throughout the year.

http://www.makorrishon.co.il/mumlazim/524295/ נווה פריצקי נווה פריצקי There is also the Kerem Tunnel to enjoy unique places to relax, such as Ein Kerem, the Biblical zoo, aquarium and the Ein Kerem neighborhood. נווה פריצקי