- the bridge costed a lot of money, while there is no need for such a bridge at this point (a normal concrete brdige would have done the job) - the maintance of the bridge costs millions of shekel every year - the inauguration ceremnoy costs millions of shekel [all this money could have been used for israels needy or for example for some urgently needed apartment buildings in jerusalem] - the bridge has no relation to jerusalem, it could stand (and in fact similar bridges do) everywhere in the world - Jerusalem has its symbols, it does not need another one, as for example bilbao needed - this is object architecture and not space and relationsship architecture and judaism is against object achitecture, which comes quite close to IDOL worship - and to nail the coffin, no they also finished it on shabbat, which does not suprise for such an unjewish building. VERY SAD. WHO decided this building, he can't be neither religious nor an architect, just some outward orientated man with complexes.

How dare this MK speak blatent lashon hara (slander) against the Mayor. He had absolutely no proof, and indeed the Company themselves, rather than hide behind the Mayor, accepted the guilt.

One always gets over a bridge.

The bridge could remain "taref" forever and the Haredim would proscribe it. The bridge would undergo conversion by building a massive "mikve' into which each section would be dipped and then Rabbi Druckman would pronounce it as "clean", "kosher' and as "Jewish" as they come.

That you just USE the damn bridge without overzelous crap!

never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity - love the haredi bashing. Doesn't it occur to you that they construction firm signed an agreement NOT to work on Shabbat. Work did occur against the conditions of the contract. Even the owners of the company seem to think this wasn't such a good thing. But, hey, according to you, it's all about the relgion - integrity, values, keeping one's commitment and word- these don't seem really relevant anymore.

Why can't the Ultra- Orthodox just accept the fact that their are other people in this land, most whom are Zionists, who just want to build a decent country. The train to the Galilee, the Expressway to the north have all been delayed, in most cases for YEARS, because "bones" have been found at the excavation sites. In same cases, Due to the overload on Road 66 which is due to the delays in building the Trans Israel Highway (Road 6) 6 people lost their lives last week in two horrific road accidents! Surely, human life or Pikuach Nefesh, is more import than loosing lives because of Haredi pressure or Shabbat and bones? No one says desecrate the bones, but move them quickly and bury them again with dignity. If Israel is to survive we must HAVE SEPARATION OF RELIGION AND STATE! without that there is no democracy.

I love the bridge, I can't ever imagine the mayor giving permission to work on Shabbat. As for the cost of the ceremony I agree it could be spent on other things like the homeless or medical its a waist of tax payers money.

the tax payers are getting very thin at the waist

I have scraped enough bodies of windshield to know better. People die on the roads here for the same reason as everywhere else. Human error, poor judgement , incompetence and malice. Perhaps the Israeli inability to wait in a line contributes to the mindless carnage on the roads.

But it does not excuse the delaying of improving the infrastructure and saving lives even when, as you say, "Human error, poor judgement , incompetence and malices you say," are the root cause. Statistics do show that a dual carriageway is safer than a single one and human life should not endangered for religious reasons. Isn't that what Judaism is all about? The problem is that our politicians are so obsessed with the power that they have that they are prepared to sacrifice lives to keep it. This is the case all the whole spectrum of our political system. The policy is do not think but threaten!

Have I missed something? I passed the bridge this morning and it dosen't look "complete" to me.

Personally, I think the new bridge is beautiful and would be a breathtaking sight for all visiting Jerusalem for the first time. The Jewish people have worked so hard for countless years; they need something that symbolizes 'joy' in their lives.