Street closings and traffic jams are scheduled in Jerusalem twice over the next two days - once for the Bridge of Strings dedication and once for the gay march.
Wednesday evening, the new Bridge of Strings at the entrance to Jerusalem will be dedicated in a gala ceremony - the closing event of the city's official 40th Anniversary celebrations of its reunification.
The festive event, featuring multimedia shows, pyrotechnics and live musical performances by Yishai Lapidot, David Da'or, Dudu Fisher, the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, choirs and hundreds of dancers, is to begin at 8 PM. Thousands - including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, and the bridge's Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava - are expected to attend.
The Highway #1 entrance to the city and nearby streets will be closed beginning at 2 PM. Traffic in and out of the city will be routed via the less well-known Routes 9 and 443.
The Bridge of Strings (Gesher HaMeitarim in Hebrew), is scheduled to carry the light rail mass transit system over the busy entrance to Jerusalem, while serving as the icon of a new, modern gateway to the holy city. The S-shaped bridge is supported totally by 66 half-centimeter cables stemming from a single, 118-meter (390-foot) tall column. Publicists say it evokes the strings of King David's harp, "a fitting image for the holy city."
Gay March to Close City Streets on Thursday
Thursday's road-closings will be less festive, though possibly no less disruptive. The police plan to close downtown streets including Agron, King David, and Emek Refaim, from 4-7 PM, to make way for the controversial gay parade. The marchers will gather near Independence Park at 4 PM, will begin parading at 5 PM towards Liberty Bell Park, and will hold a rally there at 6 PM.
Several anti-parade demonstrations are scheduled to be held in the city at around the same time, including one at the main Jaffa-Ben-Yehuda intersection at 4 PM.
Late last week, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the parade, calling it a provocation. The Court refused to cancel the parade, and Supreme Court Justice Ayalah Procaccia even said that it was important that parades such as this "become a normal part of the routine and not arouse storms of protest each year."
Religious Knesset Members had asked that the parade at least be held in a closed area, such as a stadium, in order not to "offend the sensibilities of Jews, Moslems and Christians." Though this solution was implemented two years ago, it will not happen this time.