Allenby Bridge
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| Allenby/King Hussein Bridge | |
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 Allenby Bridge after being blown up by the Palmach in 1946 |
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| Official name | Allenby/King Hussein Bridge מסוף אלנבי |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Jordan River |
| Locale |  Jordan Jericho, Palestine |
| Maintained by | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Israel Airports Authority |
| AADT | 2,900 pedestrians in 2005 |
| Beginning date of construction | 1918 |
| Completion date | 1968 |
| Opening date | 1994 |
| Toll | US $29.00 (Outbound Israel/Palestinian Authority) |
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 Jericho in the West Bank to the country of Jordan. It is currently the only exit point for West Bank Palestinians into Jordan.
The original bridge was built in 1918 over a remnant of an old Ottoman era bridge by the British general, Edmund Allenby. 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 Palestinians, 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.[citation needed] This new structure is currently used exclusively.
[edit] Israeli terminal
The West Bank side of the bridge is considered a border entry point by Israel and is controlled by Israeli authorities exclusively. The Jordanian authorities recognize the bridge as an international border entry point, but in contrast to other border crossings with Israel, do not grant entry visas to foreign passport holders at this crossing. Palestinians travelling abroad must use this bridge to exit the Palestinian territories into Jordan and then use the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman to fly abroad. 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.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- US Consular Information Sheet - Jordan
- US Consular Information Sheet - Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
- Crossing the River Jordan (Jordan River Foundation)
[edit] Links
- Official
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