New Movable Barriers Installed on Main Highway to Ease Access for Emergency Vehicles
New movable barriers on Highway 1 connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are designed to significantly reduce emergency vehicle response times.
Jerusalem, 10 June, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Special emergency barriers were installed on Highway 1, the main highway connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, to shorten the arrival time of rescue and security forces, such as ambulances, in an emergency. The barriers that separate the sides of the highway can be moved.
A joint think tank of Netivei Israel, the Traffic Division, and Fire and Rescue led to the installation of the crash barriers. The project is expected to expand to additional locations across the country, to enable a faster and more efficient response by emergency forces.
Netivei Israel has installed two removable safety barriers that can be removed during emergencies, in order to open up quick escape routes for drivers, as well as to shorten the arrival of emergency teams when necessary.
The installation of the two new and first-stage guardrails was completed last week, and today (Wednesday) Netivei Israel (Nati) held the first operational demonstration of the system for the >>”>Israel Police and fire and rescue forces, in which opening and closing the guardrail were practiced in field conditions. The initial installation, which has already been completed, includes two emergency openings on Highway 1, each of which allows the opening of a 40-meter-long section. The system can be operated in two configurations: opening the two sections across the road, or dragging them to the side.
Once installed, the free-standing barrier allows for rapid opening of the separation fence during emergencies such as fires, security incidents, serious accidents or roadblocks, thereby significantly shortening the arrival times of rescue and emergency forces to the scene of the incident, and providing drivers with quick escape routes.
