Allenby Bridge

Allenby/King Hussein Bridge
Allenby/King Hussein Bridge from the Jordanian side
Coordinates	31°52′27″N 35°32′27″E
Carries	Pedestrians
Crosses	Jordan River
Locale	Jordan
Official name	Allenby/King Hussein Bridge جسر الملك حسين מסוף אלנבי
Maintained by	Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Israel Airports Authority
History
Construction start	1918
Construction end	1919- destroyed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
Opened	1994
Rebuilt	1964
Statistics
Daily traffic	1.2 million pedestrians in 2007 and 12,000 trucks
Toll	US $29.00 (Outbound Israel/Jordan)
Location

The Allenby Bridge (Template:Lang-he, Gesher Alenbi), also known as the King Hussein Bridge (Template:Lang-ar, 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 designated exit/entry point for Palestinians residing in the West Bank traveling to and from the Kingdom of Jordan to the West Bank and Israel.

The original bridge was built in 1918 over a remnant of an old Ottoman colonial 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 Palestinian Arabs, 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. This new structure is currently used exclusively.

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 traveling abroad must use this bridge to exit the Palestinian Authority region into Jordan and then use the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman to fly abroad, because they normally get no permit to use Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. 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. Tourists who wish to travel to Jordan must be in possession of a visa for Jordan in advance. Those who leave Jordan via the Allenby Bridge may return by showing the exit visa. Tourists and inhabitants of East Jerusalem may travel directly to the Israeli terminal, although Palestinians from the West Bank have to start the departure procedure at a special Palestinian border terminal in Jericho.

Jordanian terminal

The Jordanian side of the bridge has a branch of the Bank of Jordan for the exchange of currencies.

• 
  The opening of the original Allenby Bridge in 1918
• 
  Larger bridge built in the 1930s next to the original one visible behind it
• 
  Allenby (King Hussein) Bridge after being blown up by the Palmach in 1946
• 
  Present day Allenby Bridge, photo from 2006

See also

• Mike's Place suicide bombing

References

• US Consular Information Sheet - Jordan
• US Consular Information Sheet - Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
• Crossing the River Jordan (Jordan River Foundation)

External links

Official

• Allenby Border Terminal info
• Original bridge, circa 1893, burnt by the Turks during WWI