The Jaffa Gate area is set to be the focus of extensive renovations over the next year and a half.  This may be of particular interest to those who are planning to visit Jerusalem in 2010 or 2011.  According to a flyer distributed by the municipality, the project includes:

• Restoring infrastructure
• Improving pedestrian access
• Installing “street furniture”
• Restoring facades of buildings in the square inside Jaffa Gate

They predict that visitors will be inconvenienced for 18 months, with work proceeding “24 hours a day.”  In particular, the following changes will be made:

• Vehicular traffic will be one-way from Jaffa Gate to Zion Gate
• Loading and unloading access will be restricted
• Pedestrian traffic and “access to shops will not be impeded in any way”

Work has already begun and Jerusalem resident Craig Dunning has visited the area and sends some photographs with permission to post them here.  He notes that until today work has primarily consisted of the removal of paving stones, and traffic continues to move in both directions.

 Work begins in front of Tourist Information Office

 Enclosed area next to covered suq