Syria Plans $15 Million Road and Bridge Maintenance Program for Raqqa in 2026

Syria's Minister of Transport, Yaarab Badr, met with Raqqa Governor Abdulrahman Salama to review a comprehensive plan for the maintenance and development of roads and bridges across the governorate for the year 2026, at an estimated cost of approximately $15 million. Senior ministry officials attended, including Deputy Minister Mohammad Rahhal, Director General of the General Establishment for Road Transport Muath Najjar, and Director of Land Transport Ali Asbar.

Plan Objectives

The plan aims to improve the state of infrastructure in Raqqa Governorate, raise road safety standards on vital routes, and strengthen connectivity between Raqqa and other Syrian governorates. The minister stressed the importance of prioritizing projects and ensuring optimal implementation in a manner that serves economic development and enhances public safety.

Core Road Maintenance Projects

The primary plan covers five strategic road corridors, as presented by the Director General of the Road Transport Establishment:

• Raqqa - Aleppo highway (35 km, both lanes)
• Raqqa - Tel Abyad road (20 km)
• Raqqa - Ithriya - Salamiyah road (13 km)
• Mansourah - Rasafah - Ithriya road (7 km)
• Raqqa - Karama - Al-Matab - Deir ez-Zor road (7 km)

Supplementary Plan and Bridge Works

The supplementary plan encompasses three strategic projects: rehabilitation of the Raqqa - Deir ez-Zor road along with repairs to the Kharar, Shariha, and Suweida bridges; restoration of the Rashidah and Mansour bridges together with the construction of two water culverts; and rehabilitation of the Madan bridge. The estimated cost of the supplementary plan stands at approximately 1.248 billion new Syrian pounds.

Negotiations with the Saudi Development Fund

The minister confirmed that project funding will be drawn from government budget allocations designated for road and bridge network development. He added that negotiations are underway with the Saudi Development Fund to secure a concessional loan for the construction of a new bridge in Raqqa Governorate and another in Deir ez-Zor, reinforcing transport networks across these strategically important regions.

Context and Significance

The plan carries particular importance given the extensive damage inflicted on infrastructure during years of conflict. The destruction of several bridges severed connectivity across wide areas, forcing residents of Deir ez-Zor to rely on rudimentary ferries and river vessels to cross the Euphrates.

Recent flooding of the Euphrates River has further complicated the situation, causing damage to and collapse of a number of temporary earthen crossings that had been built to maintain transit movement. This has compounded the hardship faced by local populations and underscored the urgent need for permanent solutions to restore safe and reliable connectivity to affected areas.