Highway 40 (Israel)
Highway 40 is a north-south intercity road in Israel. At 302 km long, it is the second longest highway in Israel, after Highway 90. The highway runs from Kfar Saba in the center of Israel to the Arabah in the south, serving as a main connection between central Israel and Be'er Sheva.
Route description
The highway starts at an intersection with Highway 90 near Ketura, about 50 km north of Eilat as a two-lane undivided road. It then continues north, winding through the mountains of the southern Negev. This section includes the "Meishar", which is a completely straight and leveled 12 km stretch of road. The highway descends into the Ramon Crater, crosses it and then ascends 250 meters along "Ma'ale HaAtzmaut" to reach Mitzpe Ramon. From Mitzpe Ramon the highway continues past Ramon Air Force Base and Sde Boker.The section between Ketura and Sde Boker is a scenic route, and some drivers use this road when driving to Eilat because it provides more attractions and scenery, as opposed to highway 90 which is considered to be safer and faster.
From Sde Boker the highway continues past numerous Bedouin settlements and the Ramat Hovav industrial area. Between Nokdim Junction and Goral Junction the highway forms an eastern bypass of Be'er Sheva, also passing Omer and the Bedouin towns of Shaqib al-Salam and Tel as-Sabi. From Goral Junction the highway continues as a dual-carriageway four lane road, passing Lehavim, Rahat and Kiryat Gat.
North of Kiryat Malakhi, the highway merges with Highway 3 for 4 km to Re'em Junction. This short section has six lanes. It then continues as a four lane road, passing through Gedera and past Tel Nof Air Force Base and Rehovot. Between Matzliah Junction and Gesher Lod Junction it forms an eastern bypass of Ramle and Lod.
At El Al Junction the highway turns left towards Ben Gurion International Airport and immediately right at a roundabout. It is then downgraded in size to two lanes until IAI Junction, where it becomes a four lane divided carriageway once again. The highway then continues through Petah Tikva and bypasses Hod HaSharon before terminating at an intersection with Highway 55 in Kfar Saba.
Junctions and interchanges
The following junctions and interchanges are listed from south to north.| km | Name | Type | Meaning | Location | Road crossed |
| 0 | צומת קטורה ' | name of nearby hill and Kibbutz ult. Second wife of Abraham | Lotan, Ketura | Highway 90 (Israel) | |
| 9 | צומת נווה חריף ' | ult. Moshe Harif | Neve Harif | local road | |
| 10 | צומת נאות סמדר ' | Beauty of Nascent Fruit | Neot Smadar | local road | |
| 12 | צומת שיזפון ' | Suntan | Shizafon Army Base | Highway 12 | |
| 26 | צומת שיטים ' | Acacia wood ult. name of ancient location | Shittim | local road | |
| 38 | צומת ציחור ' | Whiteness, Purity | Tzihor Stream | Highway 13 | |
| 81 | צומת מכתש רמון ' | Ramon Crater | Makhtesh Ramon | local road | |
| 90 | צומת מצפה רמון ' | Ramon Overlook | Mitzpe Ramon | local road | |
| 90.4 | Mitzpe Ramon | Mount Sagi St. | |||
| 91 | Mitzpe Ramon | Mount Oded St. | |||
| 90 | Mitzpe Ramon Industrial Zone | Mount Katum St. | |||
| 95 | צומת הרוחות ' | The Winds | Mitzpe Ramon Landing Strip | Route 171 | |
| 117 | צומת ציפורים ' | Birds | Ramat Tziporim | local road | |
| 121 | צומת מדרשת בן גוריון ' | Ben Gurion College | Midreshet Ben-Gurion | local road | |
| 125 | צומת שדה בוקר ' | Herding Field | Sde Boker | local road | |
| 126 | צומת חלוקים ' | Pebbles | Har Halukim | Route 204 | |
| 140 | צומת טללים ' | Dew drops | Tlalim | Route 211 | |
| 143 | צומת משאבים ' | Resources | Mashabei Sadeh | Route 222 | |
| 152 | צומת הנגב ' | Route 224 to Yeruham | |||
| 156 | צומת רמת בקע ' | Rift Hill | Ramat Beka' | local road | |
| 159.7 | צומת אל-דנפירי ' | al-Danfiri, al-'Azazme, al-Jarjawi | local road | ||
| 160 | צומת רמת חובב ' | Ramat Hovav Industrial Zone | local road | ||
| 163 | צומת מסעודין אל-עזאזמה ' | al-'Azazme, Abu 'Afash | local road | ||
| 164.3 | צומת תראבין א-צאנע ' | Tirabin al-Sana | local road | ||
| 167 | צומת אוהלים/הנוקדים ' | Tents/The Shepherds | Route 406 | ||
| 172 | מחלף שרה ' | Sarah | Beer Sheva | Highway 25 | |
| 176 | צומת חטיבת הנגב ' | Negev Brigade | Beer Sheva | Highway 60 | |
| 184 | צומת גורל ' | Destiny | Route 406 | ||
| 191 | צומת להבים ' | Named after location | near Lehavim | Highway 31 Route 310 | |
| 197 | צומת דבירה ' | Devira, az-Ziadna | Road 3255 | ||
| 200 | צומת קמה ' | Named after location | Beit Kama | Route 293 | |
| 209 | צומת מאחז ' | Outpost | Mishlat Ma'ahaz | Highway 6 | |
| 214 | צומת אחוזם ' | ult. Ahuzam, son of Asher | Ahuzam | local road | |
| 216 | צומת איתן ' | Steadfast | Eitan | Road 3403 | |
| 218 | צומת עוזה ' | ult. Be Strong | Uza | local road | |
| 219 | צומת קרית גת דרום ' | South Kiryat Gat | Eitan | Road 3403 | |
| 223 | צומת פלוגות ' | Kiryat Gat | Highway 35 | ||
| 226 | צומת קוממיות ' | Route 353 Road 3553 | |||
| 228 | צומת סגולה ' | Treasure | Sgula | Road 3553 | |
| 229 | צומת ניר בנים ' | Sons' Meadow | Nir Banim | Road 3613 | |
| 231 | צומת קדמה ' | Front | Kedma | local road | |
| 233 | צומת תימורים ' | Rising | Timorim | local road | |
| 236 | צומת מלאכי / קסטינה ' | Angelic / Here we turned | Kiryat Malakhi | Highway 3 | |
| 237 | צומת אחים ' | Brothers | Kfar Ahim, Talmei Yehiel, Achva Academic College, Arugot, Yinon, Al-'Azi | local roads | |
| 239 | צומת ראם / מסמיה ' | Avraham Mordechai Alter & location of former village | Bnei Re'em | Highway 3 | |
| 239.3 | Bnei Re'em Commercial Zone | entrance road | |||
| 239.9 | Berurim | entrance road | |||
| 240.5 | צומת ראם צפון ' | Bnei Re'em | Oren St. | ||
| 241.6 | צומת חצב ' | Drimia | Hatzav | entrance road | |
| 243.7 | צומת חפץ חיים ' | Desirer of life | to Hafetz Haim to Beit Hilkia | Road 3933 | |
| 244.3 | צומת חצור ' | Kannot Industrial Park, Bene Ayish | Route 3922 | ||
| 244.8 | מחלף גדרה | presumed biblical location ult. hedge fence | Gedera, Kannot | Highway 7 | |
| 245.4 | Gedera | Ben Gurion Blvd. | |||
| 246.2 | Gedera | HaBiluyim St. Tarmah St. | |||
| 246.7 | Gedera | Weizmann Blvd. | |||
| 247.3 | Gedera | Yitzhak Ben-Zvi St. | |||
| 248.5 | צומת תל נוף ' | Named after location | Beit Elazari, Tel Nof Airbase | Road 4103 | |
| 251.3 | Givat Brenner, Kiryat Ekron | Local road King Hassan II St. | |||
| 252.1 | צומת ברנר ' | Named after location | Givat Brenner, Kiryat Ekron | Route 411 Road 4123 | |
| 252.4 | Kaplan Medical Center | Derech Pasternak | |||
| 252.9 | צומת בילו ' | Bilu Kibbutz Movement ult. House of Jacob, come let's go | Kfar Bilu, Rehovot | Route 412 | |
| 255.1 | צומת נען ' | Ganei Hadar, Ramot Meir, Na'an | Road 4233 | ||
| 255.6 | צומת רחובות מזרח ' | East Rehovot | Rehovot | Derech Menachem Begin | |
| 256 | צומת סתריה ' | named after Bedouin clan originally in area | Sitria | Shiv'at HaMinim St. | |
| 258 | צומת ישרש ' | will take root | Yashresh | HaYarden St. | |
| 259.5 | צומת רמלה דרום ' | South Ramle | Ramle | Route 431 | |
| 260.1 | צומת צומת מצליח ' | named after Sahl ben Matzliah | Ramle, Matzliah | Road 4304 | |
| 260.2 | Ramle | Bialik St. | |||
| 261.1 | Ramle | Klausner St. | |||
| 262.1 | מחלף רמלוד ' | Combination of Ramle and Lod | Ramle, Lod | Highway 44 | |
| 263.5 | צומת אחיסמך ' | Brother of Support | Lod, Ahisamakh | Derech HaRema Shivat HaMinim St. | |
| 264.8 | צומת לוד מרכז ' | Lod Center | Lod | HaTziyonut Blvd. | |
| 267 | צומת גינתון ' | little garden | Lod, Ginaton, Ben Shemen | Route 443 Dr. Mordechai & Hava Freeman St. | |
| 268.8 | צומת לוד צפון ' | Lod North | Lod | Route 434 | |
| 269.2 | מחלף לוד ' | Lod | Highway 1 | ||
| 271.8 | צומת אל על ' | Named after Airline ult. onward, upward | Ben Gurion International Airport, Airport City | Highway 46 Route 453 | |
| 272 | Ben Gurion International Airport | Road 4503 | |||
| 273.7 | צומת תעשייה אווירית ' | Aviation Industry | Israel Aircraft Industries | local road | |
| 274.5 | Israel Aircraft Industries | local road | |||
| 275.1 | צומת בדק ' | Named after company: Bedek Aviation Group | Road 4613 | ||
| 276 | צומת טייסים ' | pilots | Bnei Atarot, Yehud | Route 461 | |
| 278.1 | צומת בארות יצחק ' | Isaac's Wells | Be'erot Yitzhak | local road | |
| 278.6 | צומת נופך ' | name of stone in the Hoshen | Nofekh, Be'erot Yitzhak Mall | Road 4623 | |
| 279 | צומת מדשימים ' | ones who fulfill their dreams | Magshimim | HaTamar St. | |
| 279.6 | צומת נחלים דרום ' | streams south | Nehalim | Snir St. | |
| 280.5 | צומת נחלים צפון ' | streams north | Nehalim | Dan St. | |
| 280.7 | מחלף שעריה ' | Named after nearby neighborhood ult.Gates of God | Petah Tikva | Route 471 | |
| 281.6 | Petah Tikva | Hoshea' St. | |||
| 282.1 | Petah Tikva | Shlomo St. Ya'akov Hazan St. | |||
| 282.7 | צומת סירקין ' | named after Nachman Sirkin | Petah Tikva, Kfar Sirkin | Ein Ganim St. Road 4713 | |
| 283.3 | Petah Tikva | A. D. Gordon St. | |||
| 283.6 | Petah Tikva | HaVatikim St. | |||
| 284.3 | צומת גנים ' | named after Ein Ganim ult. gardens | Petah Tikva, Givat HaShlosha | HaRav Herzog St. Route 483 | |
| 285 | צומת סגולה ' | named after nearby commercial district ult. talisman | Petah Tikva | HaYarkonim St. | |
| 286.8 | צומת הבפטיסטים ' | The Baptists | Baptist Village, HaYarkonim Commercial Center, Yarkon National Park, Tel Afek | Natan Shifris St | |
| 287.3 | מחלף ירקון ' | Named after Yarkon River | Highway 5 | ||
| 288.3 | צומת עדנים ' | pleasures | Adanim, Neve Ne'eman Industrial Zone | Route 402 | |
| 289.2 | Adanim | local road | |||
| 289.4 | HaSharon South Regional Council | ||||
| 289.9 | נווה ירק ' | home of greenery | Road 5112 | ||
| 291.6 | צומת אלישמע ' | ult. named after Elishama, son of Ammihud | Hod HaSharon, Elishama | Mevo Kedem St. HaNarkis St. | |
| 293.2 | מחלף אלישמע ' | Hod HaSharon, Kfar Saba | Route 531 | ||
| 293.6 | Kfar Saba, Atir Yeda Industrial Zone | Atir Yeda St. | |||
| 294 | Kfar Saba | Weizmann St. Highway 55 |