Acres of land in Tel Aviv will be closed off and converted to areas for organizing the work on the Green Line of the Tel Aviv light rail, according to the Green Line plan submitted to the National Infrastructure Committee, which "Globes" has obtained. More than 55 dunam (18.25 acres) of land is involved in six main sites in Tel Aviv, including Yarkon Park, Rabin Square, Milan Square, Levinsky Park, and Hahashmonaim.
Last week, "Globes" revealed that the main part of the plan for the second line of the light rail - the Green Line - had been approved for deposit at the National Infrastructure Committee with conditions. When the conditions are completed, the public can make comments on it for 60 days, after which the plan will be submitted for government approval.
The Green Line of the light rail is expected to connect Tel Aviv with the southern parts (Holon and the approaches to Rishon Lezion) and the northern parts (Herzliya) of Greater Tel Aviv, and to provide access to business centers in Ramat Hahayal, Tel Aviv University, Holon, Rishon Lezion, and Herzliya Pituach. It will be the longest of the eight lines planned by NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System - 39 kilometers, of which 4.5 kilometers will be underground.
The Green Line plan submitted to the National Infrastructure Committee indicates that NTA is seeking to close off acres of land in Tel Aviv. For example, 20 dunam (five acres) in Rabin Square, 14 dunam (3.5 acres) in Yarkon Park, 8.5 dunam (2.125 acres) in Levinsky and Samaria Garden, 5.5 dunam (1.375 acres) in Milan Square, and 3.5 dunam (0.875 acres) in the Kirya will be closed off.
The National Infrastructure Committee minutes show that the main condition for completing the plan is an agreement with the Tel Aviv municipality on the areas for organizing the work. The National Infrastructure Committee said, "A work discussion should take place between the National Infrastructure Committee and NTA teams and the Tel Aviv municipality about the organizing spaces in order to clarify the mechanism for flexibility in their location on the time axis, and to reassess the Ziklag site."
The plan also shows that 56 trees will be moved and 551 cut down. The plan also presents a survey designed to detect active and potential sources of land pollution. The survey indicates that the area of the Carlebach station has the greatest pollution potential.
NTA said, "At this time, NTA is conducting a dialogue with the various authorities concerning the planning of the Green Line. This is merely a planning stage, and changes and revisions are possible before it is finished. As far as the areas for organizing the work are concerned, these are in various locations of areas with no disturbance of traffic or the public. Not all the areas proposed in the planning stage will be used when the work is being done."
This Thursday, at 8 PM, the second stage of work on the Tel Aviv light train is expected to begin. The Maariv Junction will be closed to traffic, and the Carlebach Station will be built on the ruins of the bridge, which will be blown up. NTA will set up a command tent, as it did at the beginning of the work on the Allenby Station.
According to the plan, the Carlebach Station will be one of the light railway's largest stations. It will have three levels: one for the Red Line, one for the future Green Line, and one for selling tickets. The Red Line level will connect Bat Yam with central Tel Aviv through Jaffa, and the Green Line level will connect western Rishon Lezion and central Holon with central Tel Aviv through the Holon Junction, and will continue from central Tel Aviv to the north of the city and Ramat Hahayal.
NTA considered whether to blow up the Maariv bridge to disassemble it. A "controlled and delicate explosion" was finally decided on. The precise time of the explosion will be set in the coming days, after the contractor, Danya Cebus Ltd. (TASE: DNYA) will present the Tel Aviv district police with a safety assessment for the explosion. In any case, blowing up the bridge will be allowed only from Thursday, August 20, 2015.
All the particulars about changes in traffic arrangements caused the work can be found on NTA's website.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 9, 2015
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