Highway 6
Highway 6Flash 90

Israel's fastest road just got a little faster. Beginning Wednesday, the speed limit on Highway 6, the Cross Israel Highway, will be raised to 120 kilometers per hour (72 mph). The current speed limit, 110 kph, will remain in force on the southern extremes of the road.

Not quite a European-style autobahn, Highway 6 is considered one of the country's more “drivable” highways by local drivers.

A toll road, the highway generally does not have a large police presence, and there are no speed cameras along its length, so many drivers were already doing well over 120 anyway.

Along with the increased speed limit, the company is responsible for the road, Derech Eretz, is planning major safety upgrades, including reflective signs for night driving, and the installation of lighting on large portions of the road that are not lit at all, requiring drivers to put on their brights in order to see ahead of them.

Two years ago, the speed limit was raised from 100 kph to 110. According to traffic studies, there was no negative impact on safety, and no increase in the number of accidents on the road.