Route 443 (Israel–Palestine)

Route 443
Route 443
מעלה בית חורון; Ma'ale Beit Horon
Ascent of Bethoron
Route information
Length	32 km (20 mi)
Major junctions
West end	Lod (Ginaton Junction)
	Ginaton Junction; Ben Shemen Interchange; Shilat Junction; Beit Horon Interchange; Giv'at Ze'ev Junction;
East end	Highway 45/Begin Expressway to Jerusalem
Location
Major cities	Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Modi'in Illit, Giv'at Ze'ev
Highway system
	Roads in Israel; Highways

Eastward ascent of Route 443 between Modi'in and Jerusalem approaching Beit Ur al-Fauqa

Route 443 (Hebrew: כביש 443, מעלה בית חורון‎) is also known as Ma'ale Beit Horon (Bethoron Ascent), following the ancient east-west trade route connecting the Via Maris and the Way of the Patriarchs. It is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv and Gush Dan with Jerusalem via Modi'in. While technically listed as a regional road, it is for the most part a divided, four-lane highway which utilises some grade separation and interchanges, as well as major at-grade intersections, and thus is not classified as a motorway, even though there is a short motorway section on its western end, connecting it to westbound Highway 1.

Route[]

Route 443 begins as a local street near downtown Lod. Leaving Lod to the east, it becomes a divided highway, crossing Highway 1 and Highway 6 at the Ben Shemen Interchange, and continuing to Shilat junction, which serves as the entrance for the Modi'in area. It then continues through the West Bank in the Matte Binyamin Regional Council, near Ramallah. Upon passing Givat Ze'ev Junction, its official designation becomes Highway 45 which continues directly to Jerusalem's Highway 50 (Begin Boulevard). A spur, Route 436, also links it with Jerusalem through Giv'at Ze'ev and the Ramot neighborhood.

The Road in Antiquity[]

The road was used during many battles in antiquity due to its unique geography. It is mentioned in several ancient writings.

In Joshua (Joshua 10:10), it is the location of a battle during the conquest of the Land of Canaan.
In 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 13:18), the road is used during a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines.
It is also mentioned in 1 Maccabees (1 Maccabees 3:13–26) describing the Battle of Beth Horon between the Macabees and the Seleucid Empire.
Later, it is the location of a battle with the Romans as described by Josephus in Wars of the Jews (Bk II, Ch 19, paragraphs 2 & 8).

As opposed to the modern Highway 1 which twists and turns, rises and falls between mountains and valleys on its way to Jerusalem through the Judean hills, the central portion of Highway 443 runs along a ridge line and maintains a relatively stable grade.
see also: Bet-Horon

Use by Palestinian traffic[]

Westbound Maccabim Security Checkpoint approaching Modi'in

Route 443 near Giv'at Ze'ev Junction, with pyramid-shaped stacks of barbed wire forming a section of the Israeli West Bank barrier

The route crosses into the West Bank just north of Maccabim, and continues thereafter until the junction just north of Givat Ze'ev; Palestinian traffic is permitted to use the road between these two points.

Several access roads connecting Palestinian villages with this section of Route 443 were closed in September 2000 due to the outbreak of the Second Intifada.^[1] Frequent fire bomb attacks and fatal shootings on Israeli traffic saw the erection of anti-sniper barricades on parts of the highway adjacent to Palestinian-populated areas.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

In March 2008, following a challenge by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Israel's Supreme Court permitted for six more months the right of the IDF to limit Palestinian traffic in this section, deeming the restrictions necessary to prevent attacks.^[6]^[7] On December 29, 2009 Israel's High Court of Justice upheld the ACRI's petition against an IDF order barring Palestinian traffic.^[8] The ruling became effective May 28, 2010, and unrestricted Palestinian traffic was again permitted.^[9]

Junctions and interchanges (west to east)[]

km	Name	Meaning	Location	Road(s) Crossed
↓Lod↓
HaHashmonaim Blvd.
0	כיכר הבנים (HaBanim Square)	The Sons	Central Lod	Route 434 Herzl St. Katzenelson St. Uri Nehushtan St.
0.15			Central Lod	Amos Vigodski St.
0.2	כיכר השוטר (HaShoter Square)	The Policeman	Mishmar Nof neighborhood	Tzahal Blvd. Henrietta Szold St.
0.4			Mishmar Nof neighborhood	Derech Beit HaDin
0.5			Mishmar Nof neighborhood	Resh-Aleph St. HaPrachim St.
0.8			Neve Nof neighborhood	Kehilat New York St.
Mordechai & Chaya Freeman St.
1			Neve Nof neighborhood	Erez St.
1.1			Ramat Eshkol neighborhood	General LeClerc St.
1.3	כיכר חיל התחזוקה (Heil HaTahzuka Square)	Quartermaster Corps	Yasmin, Shabazi, Neve Nof neighborhoods	HeHalutz St. Haim Moshe Shapira St.
↑Lod Municipal Boundary↑
1.6	צומת גינתון (Ginaton Junction)	Little Garden	Lod	Highway 40
2.5	צומת בו שמן (Ben Shemen Junction)	Fruitful	Moshav Ben Shemen, Moshav Ginaton	local roads
3.3			Ben Shemen Youth Village and Agricultural School	local road
4.1	מחלף בן שמן (Ben Shemen Interchange)	Named after location	Ben Shemen	Highway 1, Highway 6, Route 444
4.9	צומת מודיעים (Modi'im Junction)	Named after location of ancient village Modi'im Informers	north to Rosh HaAyin	Route 444
5	צומת מודיעים (Modi'im Junction)		south to Kfar Daniel, Moshav Gimzo	Road 4314
6.2	443 Extension		from/to Tel Aviv	from/to Highway 1
6.5	צומת מצפה מודיעין (Mitzpe Modi'in Junction)	Modi'in Overlook	JNF Ben Shemen Forest "Mitzpe Modi'in"	local road
7.5			Mitkan Adam Army Base	local road
8.1	צומת נאות קדומים (Neot Kedumim Junction) (westbound only)	Beauties of Ancient Times	JNF Ben Shemen Forest "Neot Kedumim"	local road
10.1	צומת מבוא מודיעים (Mevo Modi'im Junction)	Gateway to Modi'im	Mevo Modi'im JNF Ben Shemen Forest "Zaglembie Martyrs Memorial"	local road
10.8	צומת הנקתפים (HaNiktafim Junction) (eastbound only)	Harvested	JNF Ben Shemen Forest "Yad HaNiktafim"	local road
11.6	צומת מכבים (Maccabim Junction) (westbound only)	Named for The Maccabees	JNF Ben Shemen Forest "Tombs of the Maccabees"	Road 4466
12.2			Modi'in (west) Modi'in Industrial Zone	Yehuda Hamaccabi St.
12.8	(eastbound only)		Modi'in	filling station
14	(westbound only)		Shilat Modi'in Illit Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut	filling station
14.2	צומת שילת (Shilat Junction)	Named after location	Shilat Modi'in Illit Kfar Rut	Route 446
14.3	צומת שילת (Shilat Junction)	Named after location	Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut	HaHashmonaim Blvd.
15.7	צומת מכבים-רעות (Maccabim-Re'ut Junction)	Maccabees-Friendship	Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut	Yair Parag Road
17.1	Green Line
17.35	צומת ספא (Saffa Junction)	Named after location	Green Line	blocked local road, passenger transfer to Saffa
17.4	Maccabim Security Checkpoint
↑NO westbound through-traffic for green (Palestinian Authority) license plates↑
17.5	צומת בית חורון (Beit Horon Junction)	Named after location House of Horon	Beit Sira	local road NO entry to yellow (Israeli) license plates
18			Saffa, Beit Ur al-Tahta	blocked local road
18.8	(eastbound only)		Beit Sira	blocked local road
19.5	(westbound only)		Beit Ur al-Tahta	blocked local road
21.5	מחלף עור א-תחתא (Ur al-Tahta Interchange)		Beit Ur al-Tahta Kharbatha al-Misbah Beit Liqya (to Beit Ur al-Fauqa) (to Ramallah)	local roads NO entry to yellow (Israeli) license plates
22.2	(eastbound only)		Kharbatha al-Misbah	filling station
24	(westbound only)		Beit Ur al-Fauqa	local road NO entry to yellow (Israeli) license plates
27	מחלף בית חורון (Beit Horon Interchange)	Named after location House of Horon	Beit Horon At-Tira	local road
28.1	(eastbound only)		Agan HaAyalot Givat Ze'ev (west)	HaAyelot St NO entry to green (Palestinian Authority) license plates
↓NO eastbound through-traffic for green (Palestinian Authority) license plates↓
31.1	Ofer Security Checkpoint
31.8	צומת גבעת זאב (Giv'at Ze'ev Junction)	Wolf Hill	Giv'at Ze'ev Ofer Prison	Route 436, Route 443 continues as: Highway 45 to Highway 50