The General Establishment for Road Transport in the Ministry of Transport signed, on Monday, a contract for the rehabilitation of the Tanf-Busayra road and the construction of its second carriageway, as well as the rehabilitation of the Sab' Biyar link towards Busayra, funded by the Qatari "Al-Mahandi" company.
The total length of the projects is approximately 215 kilometers, with an estimated cost reaching 147 million dollars, and an implementation period of 900 days. The signing took place at the Damascus Sheraton Hotel in the presence of the relevant ministers.
Strategic Axis for Regional Linkage
Transport Minister Yarab Badr clarified that the road forms part of a corridor linking Iraq to Syrian ports on the Mediterranean Sea in Baniyas, Tartus, and Latakia, thereby enhancing regional and international trade movements and facilitating the transport of goods and transit.
He pointed out the complementarity of the project with other road axes, such as the road extending from Damascus to Palmyra and Deir Ezzor, for which a rehabilitation contract is expected to be signed soon. This will enhance the link between the capital and the northeastern region and support economic development.
The minister added that these projects align with the government's direction to leverage the country's geographical location and enhance its role as a trade corridor linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe, emphasizing the importance of transferring knowledge to national engineering cadres.
Massive Budgets for Infrastructure
For his part, Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Burhani affirmed that Syria is working to invest its geographical location to strengthen its status as a commercial, economic, and financial hub linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe and the rest of the world.
He revealed that the investment budget for the current year allocated 193 million dollars to road projects, while the proposed budget for next year includes 450 million dollars for central road projects and 200 million dollars for railway projects.
The minister noted that these allocations do not include secondary roads worked on by local administrations, roads implemented by the Ministry of Emergency Affairs, or some service roads within the "Syria Without Camps" initiative.
Mine Clearance Prior to Implementation
For his part, Director General of the General Establishment for Road Transport, Muath Najjar, confirmed that the establishment is ready to commence the project's implementation, but the presence of landmines on both sides of the road poses a challenge to starting the works.
He explained that this matter has been discussed with the Ministry of Emergency Affairs and Disaster Management to begin detection, treatment, and removal of mines in preparation for the launch of rehabilitation works.
The CEO of "Al-Mahandi" company, Abdullah Al-Zutam, confirmed the company's commitment to executing the works according to specified requirements, while partner Hamoud Al-Hamdan emphasized their anticipation to start works within a period not exceeding two months.
Details of Previous Contract
The General Establishment for Road Transport had announced on September 15 the awarding of the tender for the Tanf-Busayra road rehabilitation project to the Qatari "Al-Mahandi" company.
The establishment also signed on September 22 a maintenance and rehabilitation contract for the international Nisib-Damascus highway with the Kuwaiti Joint Contractors Group, as part of the plan to rehabilitate central roads in Syria.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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