* The Route of the Cable Car project starts on the sign next to #1 on the map above in yellow. The route of the second part on the cable car is in purple, starting on the end of the yellow route.

Initiator
Jerusalem Municipality and the Ministry of Tourism.

Implementer
Jerusalem Development Authority.

Budget
NIS 220 million.

Project Description
Contributing to the overall policies detailed above, the Cable Car to the Old City in East Jerusalem proposes a large installation that distorts the skyline of this historic area. The project exploits the problem of traffic congestion and limited transportation near Dung Gate in the Old City as a tool to achieve Israeli political goals.
The length of the Cable Car’s route will be 1,397 meters, and it will include four stations. According to the latest plans, the Cable Car will have 41 trolleys, hanging about 73 meters apart. The Cable Car is intended to carry tourists from the old train station complex in the Baka neighborhood (West Jerusalem) to the planned Kedem complex of the Elad Settlers’ Association in occupied East Jerusalem. It will include stations next to the Old City Wall, over the Hinnom Valley area and the houses of Silwan neighborhood .
Previously, a second phase of the project was planned, according to which the Cable Car was supposed to pass above the Kidron Valley to the top of the Mount of Olives and the Seven Arches Hotel, to another station near a panoramic view of East Jerusalem, and from there to connect to another light rail line to the Mount of Olives. However, in 2017, the government decided to approve only the Cable Car section up to the Dung Gate and to cancel the additional sections to the Mount of Olives to prevent international opposition to the project in the sensitive complex.

Status
Initial implementation steps are underway.

Approving Entity
On May 28, 2017, the government approved the venture.
In June 2019, the Israeli National Infrastructure Committee (NIC) approved the plan (NIC Plan #86).
Objections
In 2019, a few architects, Emek Shaveh (An Israeli foundation fighting against the use of heritage sites and archaeological remains as a political tool in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians), Peace Now, and citizens of Silwan filed a petition against the project.
In May 2022, the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the petition, thus giving the green light for the implementation of the project.

Implementation Stage
Now that there has been a decisive approval for the project, the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) has taken steps towards implementing it, focusing mainly on contracting providers for surveying, infrastructure, and development work in preparation for its execution.
Even before the actual work began, though, the problematic nature of this project became evident again. In March 2023, the Nature and Parks Authority announced that it would not allow the construction of one of the stations unless the Cable Car was the exclusive means of transportation to the “Western Wall.” However, the Ministry of Transportation did not plan for this, and the JDA has made no such arrangement. Most severely, if the main road in the area was to be closed as demanded, Silwan’s residents would be most harmed as it would impede their access to the neighborhood.

Here are the tenders and contracts that the JDA has publicized until September 2023:

On _______________ Intention to contract a company, Ikan Mass – Creative Branding, to consult on the signage of the project

2 May 2023 approved contracting with:
Sh. Losting Engineers as consultants for elevators for the project.
Yadid Biran and Co. as appraisers.
Ayah Sh.B. Ltd. as timelines consultant.

17 April 2023
Approved contracting Histec Engineering from Switzerland as cable cars consultants.

27 March 2023
Approved contracting with Life Cyber Ltd. as a radiation consultant.

28 February 2023
Approved contracting with Lavi Natif Algabish as a hydrology consultant.

25 January 2023
Approved contracting with Bitelmann Architects Ltd. as proofing consultants.

9 February 2023
Approved contracting with Rosenfield Arnice Ltd. as a project architect.

12 January 2023
Approved contracting with:
Ziv Systems for managing a data program for the project’s planners.
Ayah Sh.B. Ltd. as consultant for quantities.
Exact Transportation Solutions as consultants for transportation technology.

29 December 2022
Approved to contract with Adir Landscape Consulting and Supervision as an agronomy consultant.

15 December 2022 Approved contracting with:
Yadid Biran and Co. as appraisers.
Dr. Adi Ziltsman as geology consultant.
Eco Environmental Engineering Ltd. as environmental and acoustic.
Sh. Losting Engineers, as consultants for elevators.
Irina Rubin as an accessibility consultant.
S.E.D. Engineers as Infrastructure coordination consultant.
Rosinkov Brothers as Air conditioning consultants.
Rosinkov Brothers as Drainage and plumbing consultants.
Haddad Engineers as network consultants.
Groshku Civil Engineers as construction consultants.
Eliyah Ben Shabat as Simulation and motion consultant.
Michal Nakman as Traffic and transportation consultant.
Seitter Consultants as Security consultants.
Doron Ashel as a soil and geotesting consultant.
East Jerusalem Development Ltd for the transfer of existing infrastructure.

22 September 2022
approved to increase the contract with Peled Klein (that was approved in 2019) as Engineering controller.

7 September 2022
Approved contracting with Dana Engineering as Project managers.

29 June 2022
Approved contracting with Kav Medidah Ltd. for surveying/mapping services.