Damascus, July 14 (SANA) Syria has launched seven domestic and international tenders for strategic road rehabilitation projects aimed at upgrading the country’s international highway network, Transport Minister Yarub Badr said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Damascus, Badr said the projects include the rehabilitation of the Nassib–Damascus, Damascus–Homs and Homs–Aleppo highways, along with the Saraqib–Idlib link, which together form the M5 corridor connecting the Turkish border in the north with the Jordanian border in the south.
The ministry has also announced two projects to construct a second carriageway on the Damascus–Palmyra road and to upgrade the Palmyra–Deir Ezzor highway into a dual carriageway. Separate tenders have been issued for international consulting firms to supervise both the rehabilitation works and the construction of the new carriageways.
Badr said the projects are intended to accelerate the rehabilitation of Syria’s international road network, strengthen connectivity between different parts of the country and transfer engineering expertise to the General Establishment for Road Transport and other Syrian agencies involved in road construction.
He said inviting international bids is intended to ensure the highest technical standards and benefit from global expertise in project implementation and supervision.
Muaz Najjar, Director of the General Establishment for Road Transport, said the projects would modernize Syria’s road network in line with the country’s strategic geographic location.
Najjar said Syrian engineers possess the expertise needed to deliver the projects to high technical standards, expressing confidence that the planned road developments would meet the country’s infrastructure needs and support its long-term development objectives.
Syria’s transport infrastructure suffered extensive damage during nearly 14 years of war, with major highways and bridges across the country requiring rehabilitation. Restoring the road network has become a key government priority to reconnect provinces, facilitate trade and support economic recovery.
kA.ABD
