JERICHO (Ma’an) -- Israeli authorities have approved the construction of a passenger bridge for a Palestinian town bisected by a major Israeli highway in the occupied West Bank, a local official said Monday.

Residents of Al-Auja, north of Jericho, have been waiting for Israeli approval to build the pedestrian crossing over road 90 since it first submitted a request in 1999, the chair of the town's board Turki Ishibat said.

The road is a major thoroughfare, particularly for cargo, and Ishibat said nine Al-Auja residents had been killed on the road. Schoolchildren have to cross it daily to reach their classes, he said.

After local officials and construction experts approved the site, construction should begin in the next few months, Ishibat added.

Although the town is located in Area A -- the urban areas of the West Bank under full Palestinian control -- the bridge needs Israeli permission because it will be constructed over an Israeli-built road.