The last leg of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit to Israel on Thursday is expected to cause heavy traffic congestion across the country, with major road closures and public transportation disruptions in Tel Aviv and around Ben-Gurion Airport through the afternoon.
Vance, who will travel between sites in a secured motorcade, is expected to create traffic delays in several areas in central Israel, Jerusalem, and along Highway 1, the main road linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
US VP Vance meeting with PM Netanyahu
(Video: GPO)
The vice president is scheduled to conclude his visit at 2 p.m. local time. Before leaving, he plans to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City around 9:30 a.m., then travel to the Kirya military and government complex in Tel Aviv for meetings before departing for Ben Gurion Airport.
Authorities have not yet released full traffic arrangements for Jerusalem, but police said several key roads and train services will be closed in the Tel Aviv area.
Tel Aviv–HaShalom train station will be closed between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and public transportation around the Kirya and Azrieli Junction will be suspended between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Police are advising travelers to use the Tel Aviv–HaHagana and Tel Aviv–Savidor Center stations, which will remain open.
Starting at 9:30 a.m., westbound Highway 1 will close, followed by the northbound lanes of Highway 20 up to the HaShalom Interchange in Tel Aviv. The vice president’s convoy will later travel to Ben Gurion Airport in a lane closed to regular traffic since the morning, with roads expected to reopen around 2 p.m.
Drivers heading west will be allowed to use Highway 1 only after the convoy reaches Tel Aviv, expected around 11:30 a.m., from the Lod Interchange via alternate routes.
Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., several streets in Tel Aviv will be closed to vehicles, including Kaplan Street between Ibn Gabirol and Yigal Alon, Menachem Begin Road between Jabotinsky and Hashmonaim, and parts of Laskov, HaPetman, Leonardo da Vinci, Dubnov, Daniel Frish, Shaul HaMelech, and Weizmann streets. Access ramps to and from the HaShalom Interchange will also be closed.