Syria’s Minister of Transport Yarub Badr discussed with Raqqa Governor Abdul Rahman Salama on Monday, June 8, the condition of the road and bridge network in Raqqa (northeastern Syria), and ways to repair damage caused by recent floods and by conditions over previous years, as part of the ministry’s 2026 investment plan.
During the meeting, held at the ministry building in Damascus, participants assessed the scale of the damage and discussed urgent needs to repair damaged sections, ensuring continued traffic movement and improved services.
Badr said Raqqa projects are a priority in this year’s plans to rehabilitate infrastructure, improve road efficiency, strengthen traffic safety, and support economic development.
The main plan, according to what the Ministry of Transport published Tuesday, June 9, includes maintenance and rehabilitation of strategic roads, including Raqqa to Aleppo, Raqqa to Tal Abyad, Raqqa to Athriya to Salamiya, Raqqa to al-Karama to al-Matab to Deir Ezzor, and al-Mansoura to al-Rusafa to Athriya.
The additional plan includes rehabilitating the Raqqa to Deir Ezzor road, repairing vital bridges in al-Kharar, al-Sharida, and al-Suwayda, rehabilitating Raqqa’s al-Rashid and al-Mansour bridges, along with two water culverts, in addition to rehabilitating the Maadan bridge.
Minister Badr estimated the projects’ cost at around $15 million, saying they will be implemented through government funding under allocations designated for developing and rehabilitating the road and bridge network, contributing to stronger infrastructure and improved connectivity between different areas.
Badr pointed to ongoing talks with the Saudi Fund for Development to provide a soft loan to build a new future bridge in Raqqa and another bridge in Deir Ezzor governorate, to support infrastructure and strengthen the transport network in vital areas.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Raqqa said the city’s infrastructure is severely deteriorating, with 70% to 80% of the internal road network heavily damaged. He said the roads are now full of potholes, dirt, and speed bumps, in addition to a complete absence of sidewalks and medians due to prolonged neglect and the use of poor materials in previous paving and maintenance work.
The correspondent stressed the urgent need to repair al-Mashlab road, which forms a vital entrance to the city from its eastern side and stretches three kilometers, because of the severe damage it has sustained. He also noted that the surrounding Corniche streets have become unfit for traffic and require full rehabilitation.
On external routes, the correspondent said the Raqqa to Deir Ezzor to Jazira road, specifically the stretch from the town of al-Hamrat to the outskirts of Deir Ezzor, is among the damaged strategic routes requiring immediate maintenance, along with the Athriya road, which faces a similar situation.
Regarding main crossings, the correspondent said Raqqa’s old and new bridges are out of service as a result of successive rounds of conflict. They were first bombed by international coalition forces during battles against the Islamic State group, then later underwent maintenance by the Autonomous Administration during its rule over the governorate, before the latter allegedly booby-trapped and destroyed them again ahead of its withdrawal and the Syrian government’s control of the area.
Director of the General Establishment for Road Transport, Moaz Najjar, presented the 2026 Raqqa road maintenance plan, which includes five main projects: maintenance of the Raqqa to Aleppo highway over 35 kilometers for both lanes, the Raqqa to Tal Abyad road over 20 kilometers, the Raqqa to Athriya to Salamiya road over 13 kilometers, the al-Mansoura to al-Resafa to Athriya road over seven kilometers, and the Raqqa to al-Karama to al-Matab to Deir Ezzor road over seven kilometers.
Najjar said the total cost of these projects is estimated at 700 million new Syrian pounds, while the additional plan includes three strategic projects: maintenance of the Raqqa to Deir Ezzor road with the al-Kharar, al-Sharida, and al-Suwayda bridges, rehabilitation of the al-Rashid and al-Mansour bridges, and construction of two water culverts, as well as rehabilitation of the Maadan bridge.
Najjar said the estimated cost of the additional plan is about 1.248 billion new Syrian pounds, with the aim of raising infrastructure readiness and supporting economic and social development in the governorate.
The director of the General Establishment for Road Transport said the project to rehabilitate Raqqa’s large bridge is still under negotiation to secure funding through the Saudi Fund for Development via the Ministry of Finance, at an estimated cost of $18 million.
The Ministries of Transport and Finance held a meeting on June 2 to launch an urgent plan to rehabilitate vital bridges and roads, aiming to speed up transport movement and strengthen links between governorates.
During the meeting, the two ministries agreed to accelerate procedures and secure the necessary funding to immediately begin maintenance work on damaged bridges in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor governorates, as a priority under the government’s work plan to rehabilitate infrastructure and improve transport conditions.
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