Summary：JERUSALEM, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel will establish an underground metro system in the metropolitan area of Tel...

JERUSALEM, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel will establish an underground metro system in the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv at a planned cost of about 155 billion new shekels (45 billion U.S. dollars), the Israel Planning Administration (IPA) announced Tuesday.

As Israel's largest ever infrastructure project, the new metro system will be added to a light rail system that is being currently being built in Tel Aviv and its adjacent cities.

The metro system will include three lines (M1, M2 and M3) with a total length of 145 km and 100 stations in 23 local authorities.

It will also have an extension to Ben Gurion Airport, which is about 20 km southeast of Tel Aviv.