Allenby Bridge

Allenby/King Hussein Bridge
File:Allenby-Brücke.jpg Allenby/King Hussein Bridge from the Jordanian side
Carries	Pedestrians, vehicles
Crosses	Jordan River
Locale	Jordan West Bank
Official name	Allenby/King Hussein Bridge מסוף אלנבי جسر الملك حسين
Maintained by	Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Israel Airports Authority
History
Construction begin	1918
Construction end	1919- destroyed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
Opened	1994
Rebuilt	1964
Statistics
Daily traffic	1.2 million pedestrians in 2007 and 12,000 trucks
Toll	US $29.00 (Outbound West Bank/Jordan)

The Allenby Bridge (Hebrew: גשר אלנבי‎, Gesher Allenby), also known as the King Hussein Bridge (Arabic: جسر الملك حسين‎‎, Jisr al-Malek Hussein), is a bridge that crosses the Jordan River, and connects the West Bank with Jordan. Other than through the West Bank, the bridge is currently the sole designated exit/entry point for West Bank Palestinians traveling in and out of the region.

History

The original bridge was built in 1918 over a remnant of an old Ottoman colonial era bridge by the British general Edmund Allenby. The original bridge had been built in 1885 by the Ottoman government of the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem.

It was destroyed once in the Night of the bridges operation by Palmach at June 16, 1946. It was destroyed again during the Six-Day War, but was replaced in 1968 with a temporary truss-type bridge. This bridge is still called the Allenby Bridge by Israelis, although it is also known as Al-Karameh Bridge to Palestinian Arabs, and the King Hussein Bridge to Jordanians. In the late 1990s, and subsequent to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, a new modern paved crossing was constructed adjacent to the older wooden one with the aid of the Japanese Government. This new structure is currently used exclusively.

The Allenby border crossing

File:King Hussein Bridge Palestine occupied side.jpg

King Hussein Bridge title, 2013

Since the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, the Allenby Bridge Terminal is operated by the Israel Airports Authority. It serves as a border crossing between the West and East Banks of the Jordan River. The Jordanian authorities recognize the bridge as an international border entry point, but neither grant entry visas to foreign passport holders at this crossing, unlike the country's other border crossings with Israel, nor stamp the passports of departing travelers. Palestinians traveling abroad must use this bridge to exit the Palestinian Authority West Bank region into Jordan and then use the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman to fly abroad, because they are not permitted to use Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Travel permits from both Israeli and Jordanian authorities are required, with varied stringency depending on the political situation.

Israeli citizens are not permitted to use the terminal, except pilgrims to Mecca, the Hajj and Omra. Tourists who wish to travel to Jordan may have to be in possession of a visa from Jordan in advance, depending on their nationality. Tourists and inhabitants of East Jerusalem may travel directly to an Israeli terminal, although Palestinians from the West Bank have to start the departure procedure at the special Palestinian border terminal in Jericho city.

The Jordanian side of the bridge has a branch of the Bank of Jordan for the exchange of currencies.

• Opening of the Allenby Bridge (1918).jpg

  The opening of the original Allenby Bridge in 1918

• Allenby Bridge LOC Matson 22904.jpg

  Larger bridge built in the 1930s next to the original one visible behind it

• King Hussein Bridge.jpg

  Allenby (King Hussein) Bridge after being blown up by the Palmach in 1946

See also

• Death of Raed Zeiter

External links

• US Consular Information Sheet - Jordan
• US Consular Information Sheet - Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
• Crossing the River Jordan (Jordan River Foundation)
• Allenby Border Terminal info
• Original bridge, circa 1893, burnt by the Turks during WWI