Israeli and Jordanian transportation ministers Meir Sheetrit and Saud Naseirat attended last week the inauguration ceremony for the opening of the new terminal at the Sheikh Hussein Bridge crossing over the Jordan River.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the Jordanian Ambassador to israel H.E.Marof –el-Bachit and the israeli Ambassador to Jordan H.E. Yossi Hadas.
Sheetrit said 350,000 people passed through the crossing last year, representing an 8-percent increase over the previous yearin which 327,000 crossed the bridge. The total is the highest since 2001.
He said the number of trucks using the bridgeincreased last year by 52% and the numbers of private cars was up 30%.
The new terminal consists of a 1,300-square-meter departure hall, which includes a passenger lounge, duty-free stores, banks,customs office and a cafeteria.
The crossing, which like all land crossings with neighboring states is run by the Israeli Airports Authority, employs 250 workers, mostly residents of the Beit She'an city and a number of nearby villages.
Airport Authority's director general Mr.Gabi Ophir said in the ceremony that the authority invested over NIS 6 millions in the new facility and added that there are current additional plans to expand the terminal and improve passenger service. He added that eventually if plaqns are approved a rail link will connect Haifa Port and the Beit She'an area.
