Syria Launches Emergency Plan to Rehabilitate Bridges and Develop Key Road Network

Plan Launch and Key Stakeholders

Syria's Ministries of Transport and Finance have jointly announced an emergency plan to rehabilitate bridges and vital road corridors across the country. The announcement followed a ministerial meeting attended by Transport Minister Yarub Badr, Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnieh, and Engineer Muaz Najjar, Director General of the General Establishment for Road Transport. The plan aims to improve the national transport network and accelerate inter-governorate mobility.

Immediate Priorities

The participants agreed to expedite procedures and secure the necessary funding to begin immediate maintenance works on damaged bridges in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor governorates, identified as top priorities for the current phase. These areas have sustained severe infrastructure damage, with several Euphrates River crossings destroyed or rendered non-functional during years of conflict.

Financial Framework and Timeline

The plan is aligned with presidential directives and includes the allocation of dedicated credits within the 2026 state budget for priority infrastructure projects. It also encompasses the launch of a three-year programme to develop and expand the main road network connecting the majority of Syrian governorates.

Targeted Road Corridors

The plan identifies several critical axes for rehabilitation, including:

• The Nassib – Daraa – Damascus – Aleppo highway
• The Damascus – Palmyra – Deir ez-Zor road
• A feasibility study for financing the construction of new bridges over the Euphrates River

Broader Context

This plan forms part of wider government efforts to restore Syria's transport sector, which has suffered severe deterioration following years of conflict and prolonged absence of regular maintenance. The General Establishment for Road Transport serves as the primary executive body responsible for managing the country's central road and bridge network, and its director's participation in the ministerial meeting underscores the operational urgency of the initiative.