Damascus, March 10 (SANA) Syria’s Minister of Transport Yarub Badr met Deir Ezzor Governor Ghassan al-Sayyed Ahmad on Tuesday in Damascus to discuss plans to rehabilitate key roads and bridges in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria that were damaged or destroyed by bombardment carried out by the ousted Assad regime during the years of conflict.
The meeting, focused on restoring the Siyasiya Bridge and the Al-Mayadin Bridge, as well as rehabilitating the main highway linking Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Al-Bukamal. Officials said restoring this route is a priority because it could serve as a major transit corridor for goods moving toward Iraq and Türkiye.
Participants also highlighted the economic importance of the Al-Mayadin Bridge because of its proximity to nearby oil fields, making it a key link for economic activity in the region.
Badr said the Siyasiya Bridge is a top government priority, noting that residents currently rely on a temporary earthen crossing that is under heavy pressure, especially after the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor was liberated from the control of the ousted Assad regime.
He added that technical studies and cost estimates for rehabilitating the bridge have been completed and that the project is awaiting inclusion in the ministry’s budget before construction begins.
The minister said the ministry’s 2026 plan gives special attention to eastern provinces and Idlib because of their exceptional conditions and the need for extensive reconstruction projects.
For his part, Governor Ahmad stressed the urgency of rehabilitating vital roads and bridges to ease movement for residents and revive economic and commercial activity, particularly in areas that suffered widespread destruction caused by the former regime during the years of the Syrian revolution.
The two officials had previously met in late January to review the condition of the transport sector in Deir Ezzor and discuss challenges facing local transport authorities and ways to address them.
F.J.
