Route 899 is an east-west regional highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 in the Upper Galilee

Upper Galilee

The Upper Galilee is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period, originally referring to a mountainous area overlapping the present northern Israel and southern Lebanon, its borders being the Litani river in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the Beit...

 in northern Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

. For almost its entire length of 63 km it proceeds parallel to the nearby border between Israel and Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

. In Israel, Route 899 is commonly known as the "highway of the north" (Hebrew: כביש הצפון, Kevish HaTzafon).

History

The road was paved in 1937 as part of the efforts to suppress the Great Arab Revolt. After the road was paved, a fence was placed alongside the road called the "northern fence" or "Tegart's wall

Tegart's wall

Tegart's Wall was a barbed wire fence erected in 1938 by British Mandatory authorities on the northern border of Palestine in order to keep militants from infiltrating from Syria and Lebanon to join the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine.-History:...

" which was completed in July 1938. This fence continued south from the area of Metzudat Koah toward Lake Kinneret

Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...

. On the side of the road were placed Taggart

Taggart

Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...

 fortresses, which are now located in Ya'ara

Ya'ara

Ya'ara is a moshav in northern Israel. Located near Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 533....

, Shomra, Sasa, Avivim

Avivim

Avivim , is an Israeli moshav in the far north of Israel, in the Upper Galilee. It is located less than one kilometre from the Lebanese border, and on the land of the depopulated Shiite village of Salha ....

 and Metzudat Koah. Sixteen pillboxes were built alongside the road between the fortresses. Under the control of the British Mandate in Palestine access to the road was not open, and it required special permission. The road began alongside the village Basa

Al-Bassa

al-Bassa was a Palestinian Arab village in the British Mandate of Palestine's District of Acre. It was situated close to the Lebanese border, north of the district capital, Akko , and above sea level.-Name:...

, what is now Betzet

Betzet

Betzet is a moshav in the Western Galilee in northern Israel. It belongs to the Mateh Asher Regional Council. It is part of the Moshavim Movement, and is located next to the cities Shlomi and Nahariya....

 and the city Shlomi, and ended at the point next to Metzudat Koah, while it passed near the large Arab settlements. The road was paved several kilometers away from the border with Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

. The northern fence was taken down in 1942, but the fortresses and pillboxes remained along the length of the road.

The road today

The present-day path of the road is mostly parallel to the path of the old road of the British Mandate, but it differs in a number of locations. The road underwent many renovations and improvements. In a number of locations on the road there are signs pointing to the "old northern road", to sections of a few kilometers that pass just north of the present-day road, and return to merge into the same road. The national transportation authority sometimes prepares new sections that pass along the backsides of the northern settlements, thus making the road more distant from the border between Israel and Lebanon, and enabling access to the communities from the south, away from the border and toward the majority of Israel's area.

The "northern route" is numbered 899 in the national highway numbering system. It begins in the west at Betzet

Betzet

Betzet is a moshav in the Western Galilee in northern Israel. It belongs to the Mateh Asher Regional Council. It is part of the Moshavim Movement, and is located next to the cities Shlomi and Nahariya....

 junction, next to the Mediterranean shore between Rosh HaNikra

Rosh Hanikra (kibbutz)

Rosh HaNikra is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the Mediterranean coast near the Rosh HaNikra grottoes and the border with Lebanon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council...

 and Akhziv, where it meets Highway 4

Highway 4 (Israel)

Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Erez Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip...

. The road climbs via Shefa Valley and turns south to Even Menachem and Netu'a

Netu'a

Netu'a is an moshav in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 251....

. It meets Highway 89

Highway 89 (Israel)

Highway 89 is a major east-west highway in the Upper Galilee and Western Galilee in northern Israel. It begins in the west in Nahariya and continues east to Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Safed, Hatzor HaGlilit and Rosh Pina...

 at Hiram junction near Sasa, and afterward follows the path of Nahal Dishon. After Malkia

Malkia

Malkia is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese border and Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 329....

 the road descends into Kadesh Valley and splits away from the international border with Lebanon. After Metzudat Koah the road slopes precipitously downward toward the Hula Valley and ends at Ko'ah junction, where it meets Highway 90.

Junctions and interchanges on the route

Kilometers	Name	Location	Intersecting routes
כביש 899 ממערב למזרח
0	Betzet Junction	Rosh HaNikra Rosh Hanikra (kibbutz) Rosh HaNikra is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the Mediterranean coast near the Rosh HaNikra grottoes and the border with Lebanon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council...	Highway 4 Highway 4 (Israel) Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Erez Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip...
1	Unnamed junction	Betzet Betzet Betzet is a moshav in the Western Galilee in northern Israel. It belongs to the Mateh Asher Regional Council. It is part of the Moshavim Movement, and is located next to the cities Shlomi and Nahariya....	Entrance to Betzet
2	Unnamed junction	Shlomi	Entrance to Shlomi
2.5	Hanita junction	Shlomi	Route 8990, Entrance to Hanita Hanita Hanita is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the western Galilee approximately 15 kilometres northeast of Nahariya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council. In 2011 it had a population of 500....
3	Shlomi Junction	Shlomi	Highway 70 Highway 70 (Israel) Highway 70 is a highway in the coastal plain and Western Galilee in northern Israel. It connects the region of Zikhron Ya'akov to the Lower Galilee and to Kiryat Ata and Shlomi near Israel's border with Lebanon.-Description of the route:...
6	Unnamed junction	Ya'ara Ya'ara Ya'ara is a moshav in northern Israel. Located near Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 533....	Route 8993, Entrance to Adamit Adamit Adamit is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the western Galilee in Israel near the border with Lebanon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 96.-History:...
7	Ya'ara Junction	Ya'ara	Entrance to Ya'ara
10	Unnamed junction	Eilon	Entrance to Eilon and Goren Park
11	Unnamed junction	Near Goren Goren Goren is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Western Galilee near Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 438....	Entrance to Goren Park
12	Unnamed junction	Goren	Entrance to Goren
13	Unnamed junction	Gornot HaGalil Gornot HaGalil Gornot HaGalil is a communal settlement in northern Israel. Located near Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006, it had a population of 166....	Entrance to Gornot HaGalil
16.5	Unnamed junction	Near Shomera Shomera Shomera is a moshav in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 322....  (moshav)	Entrance to Shomera
17.5	Unnamed junction	Near Shomera	Route 8933
19	Unnamed junction	Even Menachem	Entrance to Even Menachem
22	Unnamed junction	Netu'a Netu'a Netu'a is an moshav in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 251....	Entrance to Netu'a
24.5	Unnamed junction	Biranit Biranit Biranit is a military base in northern Israel. It is the headquarters of the Galilee Division of the Israel Defense Forces, and is located around a kilometre from the Lebanese border between Sasa and Netu'a....	Route 8944, access to Alkush and Pesuta
27.5	Unnamed junction	Mattat Mattat Mattat is a small communal settlement in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese Border between the cities of Ma'alot-Tarshiha and Safed, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council...	Mattat Mattat Mattat is a small communal settlement in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese Border between the cities of Ma'alot-Tarshiha and Safed, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council...
33	Unnamed junction	Sasa	Highway 89 Highway 89 (Israel) Highway 89 is a major east-west highway in the Upper Galilee and Western Galilee in northern Israel. It begins in the west in Nahariya and continues east to Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Safed, Hatzor HaGlilit and Rosh Pina...
33.5	Hiram Junction	Sasa	Highway 89
35.5	Unnamed junction	Dovev Dovev Dovev is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee around 7 km north of Har Meron near Israel's border with Lebanon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merom HaGalil Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 443....	Route 8967, access to Dovev
37.5	Unnamed junction	Bar'am Bar'am Bar'am is a kibbutz located in northern Israel. Located approximately 300 meters from Israel's border with Lebanon near the ruins of the ancient Jewish village of Kfar Bar'am. Bar'am National Park is known for the remains of one of Israel's oldest synagogues...	Entrance to Bar'am
40.5	Unnamed junction	Near Rehaniya Rehaniya Rehaniya is a predominantly Circassian village about 8 km north of Safed in northern Israel. It belongs to the Merom HaGalil Regional Council.-Background and history:...	Route 8966, access to Rehaniya
43.5	Unnamed junction	Yaron Yaron Yaron is a given name meaning "is full of joy" or "will be full of joy". It is common in Israel as both a male first name and a last name...	Entrance to Yaron
45.5	Unnamed junction	Avivim Avivim Avivim , is an Israeli moshav in the far north of Israel, in the Upper Galilee. It is located less than one kilometre from the Lebanese border, and on the land of the depopulated Shiite village of Salha ....	Entrance to Avivim
46	Unnamed junction	Avivim Avivim Avivim , is an Israeli moshav in the far north of Israel, in the Upper Galilee. It is located less than one kilometre from the Lebanese border, and on the land of the depopulated Shiite village of Salha ....	Route 8967
52	Unnamed junction	Malkia Malkia Malkia is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese border and Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 329....	Entrance to Malkia
57.5	Yesha West Junction	Ramot Naftali Ramot Naftali Ramot Naftali is a moshav in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near Israel's border with Lebanon. It belongs to Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council....	Route 886 Route 886 (Israel) Route 886 is a regional north-south highway in the far north of Israel. It begins in the south at Highway 89 and ends in the north at Route 899.-Description of the route:* The route begins in the south at Ein Zeitim junction with Highway 89 in Ein Zeitim....  going north
58	Yesha East Junction	Ramot Naftali Ramot Naftali Ramot Naftali is a moshav in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near Israel's border with Lebanon. It belongs to Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council....	Route 886 going south
63	Ko'ah Junction	Hula Valley	Highway 90