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The Process of Approving and Implementing Roads Construction in the West Bank

For the process of planning and approving of settlements – see here.

Phase 1: Approval of the Plan

Every road in the West Bank requires a statutory plan that is approved by the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration. The planning process is similar to that for construction of buildings. The stages are:

1. Preparation of the plan (usually by the Ministry of Transportation or other ministry)

2. Minister of Defense approval to discuss the plan

3. Approval of the plan by the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration (the Roads Subcommittee) through the following stages:
a. Approval for deposit
b. Publication of deposit
c. Hearing the objections
d. Approval for validation
e. Publication of Validation

Every step of the planning process should have approval from the Minister of Defense.

Phase 2: Implementation of the plan

In order to begin construction of a given road, three main issues must be addressed:

1. Allocation of Budgets – this can be done internally within the Ministry of Transportation without publication. Sometimes, especially in bigger projects, there might be a government decision to allocate specific budgets for the project.

2. Preparation of detailed plans for implementation – the Ministry of Transportation hires engineers (through tenders or from an approved list of engineers) to prepare the implementation plan (including details on the specific angles of the road, the types of materials required for paving, drainage and more). These detailed plans are used by the contractors (that are chosen either through tenders or from an approved list of contractors).

3. Expropriation – The head of the Civil Administration has to issue a confiscation order for the private lands that in the detailed plan. Owners can apply for compensations. The expropriation must be approved by the Minister of Defense.

4. Construction Permit – the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration (the Roads Subcommittee) approves and issues a construction permit, confirming that the detailed implementation plan is in accordance to the statutory plan and meets environmental, safety, and other requirements.

For the process of approval of settlements see here