Court rejects planned Highway 9 route for environmental reasons
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The High Court accepted the petition of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and ordered the State not to pave the western part of Highway 9 out of concern for the environmental sensitivity of the area.
Highway 9 is planned to pass south of Hadera and north of the Emeq Hefer industrial zone, passing through the Alexander River nature reserve and the Gan Hasharon National Park. The High Court criticized the State and the Public Works Department, saying the decision not to investigate alternative routes was inexplicable. (Yael Darel)
