ISRAELI AND JORDANIAN SOLDIERS AT NEW ALLENBY BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION OVER JORDAN RIVER, 2000-05-11 (photo)

Israeli and Jordanian (C) soldiers walk near the recently cleared reeds along the Israeli side of the Jordan River where construction is underway on a new four-lane bridge linking Israel and Jordan May 11. The old one-lane wooden plank bridge is at right. The $10-million project is to be built by the Jordanians and funded mainly by Japan and is slated to be inaugurated in March 2001. Israel will invest over $1-million to improve the infastructure of roads and immigration terminals on their side of the border but will not be involved in the construction of the bridge itself. JWH/JDP