Allenby Bridge, International road bridge and border crossing over the Jordan River, West Bank and Jordan

Allenby Bridge is a road crossing over the Jordan River linking the West Bank near Jericho with Al-Karameh in Jordan. It lies 381 metres below sea level, the lowest fixed water crossing in the world. The current paved span, built in 1994 with Japanese aid, stands next to the older wooden bridge and carries the border terminal operated by the Israel Airports Authority.

The Ottoman Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem built a wooden bridge here in 1885, damaged by a river flood in 1897. In 1918 British forces under General Edmund Allenby rebuilt it over the Ottoman remains and gave it his name. The Palmach destroyed it on 16 June 1946 during the Night of the Bridges; after 1967 a temporary truss bridge went up in 1968, and Japan helped fund the paved crossing built in 1994.

Buses shuttle travelers between the two border facilities because no one can walk or drive their own vehicle across. People waiting here experience the daily routine of Palestinians visiting family or commuting to Jordan for work.

Travelers should allow plenty of time for procedures because waiting periods vary depending on traffic. Bringing copies of all travel documents and preparing for interviews with security staff helps the process go smoothly.

The crossing sits at the lowest drivable point on Earth, forcing vehicles to roll steeply uphill or downhill as they descend into or climb out of the Jordan Rift. No other border post anywhere operates at such depth below sea level.