--- source_url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel_Tunnels?utm_source=openai" title: Carmel Tunnels - Wikipedia mirrored_at: 2026-08-19T13:03:08.462Z host: en.wikipedia.org cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel_Tunnels__q__utm_source_openai" --- > **Original source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel_Tunnels?utm_source=openai Highway 23 כביש 23 Carmel Tunnels [Hebrew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language "Hebrew language"): מנהרות הכרמל, [romanized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Hebrew "Romanization of Hebrew"): _Minharot HaCarmel_ Entrance to the tunnel at Check Post Route information Length 9.23 km (5.74 mi) Existed December 2010–present Major junctions West end Haifa Darom Interchange Ruppin Interchange East end Mevo Carmel Interchange Location Country [Israel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel "Israel") Major cities [Haifa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haifa "Haifa") Neighborhoods: [Hof HaCarmel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hof_HaCarmel_Regional_Council "Hof HaCarmel Regional Council"), [Neve Sha'anan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neve_Sha'anan,_Haifa "Neve Sha'anan, Haifa"), Check Post Highway system - **[Roads in Israel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roads_in_Israel "Roads in Israel")** - [Highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highways_in_Israel "List of highways in Israel") ← ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/ISR-FW-22.svg/40px-ISR-FW-22.svg.png?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=parser&utm_content=thumbnail) [Highway 22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_22_\(Israel\) "Highway 22 (Israel)") → ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/ISR-HW-25.svg/40px-ISR-HW-25.svg.png?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=parser&utm_content=thumbnail) [Highway 25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_25_\(Israel\) "Highway 25 (Israel)") **Highway 23**, more-commonly known as the "Carmel Tunnels" ([Hebrew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language "Hebrew language"): מנהרות הכרמל, _Minharot HaCarmel_), are a set of [toll tunnels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll_tunnel "Toll tunnel") in [Haifa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haifa "Haifa"), [Israel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel "Israel"). The tunnels' purpose is to reduce [road congestion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_congestion "Road congestion") in the Haifa area and to provide an alternative route for reaching the eastern and central parts of the city, [Haifa Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haifa_Bay "Haifa Bay") and the [Krayot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krayot "Krayot") area to and from Israel's central coastal plain without having to travel through traffic-congested downtown Haifa, having to drive up and across [Mount Carmel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Carmel "Mount Carmel"), or bypassing Haifa from the east – along the edge of the [Jezreel Valley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jezreel_Valley "Jezreel Valley") (via [Highway 70](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_70_\(Israel\) "Highway 70 (Israel)") for example). The tunnels cut the travel time from the Haifa South interchange in the west to the Checkpost interchange in the east from 30 to 50 minutes down to 6 minutes. The tunnels were built and are operated as a [BOT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Build-Operate-Transfer "Build-Operate-Transfer") project. They were opened to traffic on 1 December 2010.[\[1\]](#cite_note-1) The entire project is 8.6 km long. There are four tunnels (two sets of twin tunnels), the 3.5 km long western set and the 1.6 km long eastern set, containing two lanes of traffic in each tunnel. The tunnels were bored in Mount Carmel, essentially under the city of Haifa and have three portals: one from the west, near the [MATAM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matam,_Haifa "Matam, Haifa") business park (with a connection to the [Coastal Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_2_\(Israel\) "Highway 2 (Israel)") and the [Old Haifa–Tel Aviv Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_4_\(Israel\) "Highway 4 (Israel)")), one in the center off Ruppin Road (next to the [Grand Canyon Shopping Mall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_Haifa "Grand Canyon Haifa")), and from the east connecting to the Krayot (aka the "Checkpost") interchange and [Highway 22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_22_\(Israel\) "Highway 22 (Israel)") at the Yadin/Mevo Carmel interchange. The project was built by Carmelton, a subsidiary of [Ashtrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtrom?action=edit&redlink=1 "Ashtrom (page does not exist)") and [Shikun UVinui](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_&_Construction_Holding_Company_Limited "Housing & Construction Holding Company Limited"), two of the largest infrastructure companies in Israel, and the tunnels were bored by [China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Civil_Engineering_Construction_Corporation "China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation") (CCECC), a Chinese company specializing in tunnel boring. In January 2009, boring was completed on the westbound tunnel in the eastern portion of the project.[\[2\]](#cite_note-2) Boring of the last tunnel was completed on June 1, 2009.[\[3\]](#cite_note-3) The cost for drivers is 8.7 [NIS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Israeli_Shekel "New Israeli Shekel") for each segment (a drive to the central portal is considered one segment and driving the entire east–west route is composed of two segments).[\[4\]](#cite_note-4) Payment can be made in cash at a toll booth or by [video tolling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_tolling "Video tolling") using [automatic number plate recognition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number_plate_recognition "Automatic number plate recognition") for subscribers who arrange a billing relationship or by video or transponder tolling for [Highway 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_6_\(Israel\) "Highway 6 (Israel)") subscribers. The project's total cost was estimated at 1.2 billion NIS (approx. US$300 million in 2008 dollars). In early March 2014 construction was completed on a connector between the tunnels' eastern portal and [Highway 22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_22_\(Israel\) "Highway 22 (Israel)"). This connector is the final link between a series of [controlled-access highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled-access_highway "Controlled-access highway") that together form an inter-city highway corridor stretching along most of Israel's Mediterranean coast, from [Acre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre,_Israel "Acre, Israel") (Akko) in the north to [Ashdod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashdod "Ashdod") in the south. This corridor consists of whole or parts of highways 22, 23, 2, [20](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_20_\(Israel\) "Highway 20 (Israel)") and [4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_4_\(Israel\) "Highway 4 (Israel)"). Plans for the tunnels were first proposed as early as 1992, and the winning tender for the construction of the tunnels was awarded to Carmelton in 1997. In 1999 Carmelton obtained financing for the project, but construction was delayed due to objections and other legal matters, at which point [Israel Discount Bank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Discount_Bank "Israel Discount Bank") backed out of its obligation to provide credit for the project. A lengthy legal suit followed, which eventually forced the bank to carry out its financial obligations. Six hundred [Chinese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_people "Chinese people") workers were brought in for the project by CCECC. The project was first delayed just one week after the cornerstone was laid in April 2007, following concerns over electromagnetic radiation standards.[\[5\]](#cite_note-Haaretz-5) Work finally resumed on June 19, 2007. The project was once again delayed in September 2008, when CCECC demanded that the contract with Carmelton be re-negotiated due to the increase in costs which CCECC had to deal with, mainly due to a rise in construction materials costs. Construction work was disrupted for over a month, slowing down and eventually stopping completely. Work was resumed on October 23, 2008.[\[6\]](#cite_note-Calcalist1-6) Despite these delays, Carmelton opened the tunnels on December 1, 2010, six months ahead of schedule.[\[7\]](#cite_note-Carmelton-7) ## Junctions and Interchanges \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carmel_Tunnels&action=edit§ion=3 "Edit section: Junctions and Interchanges")\] 1. [↑](#cite_ref-1) Ron Freidman, ["There's light at the end of the Carmel Tunnels"](https://www.jpost.com/National-News/Theres-light-at-the-end-of-the-Carmel-Tunnels), _[The Jerusalem Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerusalem_Post "The Jerusalem Post")_, December 1, 2010 2. [↑](#cite_ref-2) Ra'avad, Ahiya (January 19, 2009). [הסתיימה חפירת מנהרת הכרמל הראשונה](http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3658575,00.html) \[Boring of the First Carmel Tunnel Completed\]. _[Ynet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynet "Ynet")_ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2009-01-20. 3. [↑](#cite_ref-3) Ra'avad, Ahiya (June 1, 2009). [הסתיימה כריית מנהרות הכרמל, הפתיחה באפריל](http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3724328,00.html) \[Boring of the Carmel Tunnels Completed, opening in April\] (in Hebrew). [Ynet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynet "Ynet"). Retrieved 2009-01-02. 4. [↑](#cite_ref-4) ראב"ד, אחיה (September 14, 2010). [ההמתנה לעודף תגרום לפקקים במנהרות הכרמל?](http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3953652,00.html) \[Waiting for change will cause traffic jams in Carmel Tunnels?\]. _Ynet_ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2010-09-18. 5. [↑](#cite_ref-Haaretz_5-0) Bar-Eli, Avi (May 6, 2007). ["Electric Co. and Environment Ministry at loggerheads / Projects delayed in a fight over radiation standards"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110522112421/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/electric-co-and-environment-ministry-at-loggerheads-projects-delayed-in-fight-over-radiation-standards-1.219828). _Haaretz_. Archived from [the original](https://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/electric-co-and-environment-ministry-at-loggerheads-projects-delayed-in-fight-over-radiation-standards-1.219828) on May 22, 2011. 6. [↑](#cite_ref-Calcalist1_6-0) [הושגה פשרה - ממחר תתחדש העבודה במנהרות הכרמל](http://www.calcalist.co.il/local/articles/0,7340,L-3136264,00.html) \[Work on Carmel Tunnels will continue tomorrow"\] (in Hebrew). Calcalist. October 22, 2008. 7. [↑](#cite_ref-Carmelton_7-0) [Tunnel Boring Completed](http://www.carmelton.co.il/ShowEvent.asp?EventID=42). Carmelton (July 29, 2009). (in Hebrew) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100802083823/http://www.carmelton.co.il/ShowEvent.asp?EventID=42) August 2, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine") 8. [↑](#cite_ref-8) [Survey of Israel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survey_of_Israel "Survey of Israel") (October 31, 2018). ["מחוזות משרד הפנים"](https://www.govmap.gov.il/?c=238649.99,679423.49&z=2&lay=REGION) \[Ministry of Interior districts\] (Map). _Govmap_ (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 31, 2018. 9. [↑](#cite_ref-9) [Survey of Israel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survey_of_Israel "Survey of Israel") (October 31, 2018). ["גבולות ישובים"](https://www.govmap.gov.il/?c=186859.82,683730.45&z=4&lay=LOCALITY_210410) \[Locality borders\] (Map). _Govmap_ (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 31, 2018. KML is not from Wikidata - [Official website](http://www.carmeltunnels.co.il/) (in Hebrew) - [Video journey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IRIxl_Xtog) on YouTube – Driving on the eastbound set of tunnels - [Article from Zman Haifa](http://zman-haifa.tripod.com/tunnels.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200727085940/http://zman-haifa.tripod.com/tunnels.html) 2020-07-27 at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine") (in Hebrew) - [Carmel Tunnels Recognition System](https://web.archive.org/web/20110712230141/http://x.htsol.com/blog/?p=121) [32°47′24.06″N 35°0′18.52″E / 32.7900167°N 35.0051444°E](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Carmel_Tunnels¶ms=32_47_24.06_N_35_0_18.52_E_)