Project Scope and Significance

The General Establishment for Road Transport, operating under Syria's Ministry of Transport, is carrying out the rehabilitation of Al-Qasatel Bridge (B46) on the Latakia–Ariha Motorway (M10). The works aim to return the corridor to full service while maintaining the safety and continuity of traffic along this road axis.

Technical Works Underway

Establishment Director Muath Najjar stated that the works have included the following:

• Removal of 12 prestressed girders from the bridge's final span.
• Preparation for the installation of a new prestressed concrete slab measuring 36 metres in length, executed in accordance with approved technical and engineering specifications.

According to the Establishment, the works are carried out under direct engineering supervision, with adherence to safety and quality procedures at each stage of implementation.

Alternative Traffic Detour

To maintain traffic flow during the works, technical teams constructed a 175-metre alternative detour along the old Latakia–Aleppo road. The Establishment announced on 5 May the diversion of traffic from beneath the bridge to this detour, which runs parallel to the old road alignment.

Broader Road Maintenance Programme

Najjar noted that the Establishment is continuing to implement maintenance and rehabilitation plans across various axes of Syria's road network, with the stated goal of supporting the sustainability of infrastructure and traffic movement. The Al-Qasatel Bridge works form part of a wider effort to address war-related damage to central bridges and roads and to raise their technical and service efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which authority is carrying out the rehabilitation?

The General Establishment for Road Transport, operating under Syria's Ministry of Transport.

What are the main technical works on the bridge?

The removal of 12 prestressed girders from the bridge's final span and the installation of a new 36-metre prestressed concrete slab.

How is traffic being managed during the works?

Traffic was diverted on 5 May to a 175-metre alternative detour constructed along the old Latakia–Aleppo road, parallel to the old alignment.

How does this project relate to the wider road network?

It forms part of the Establishment's maintenance and rehabilitation plans across Syria's road network, addressing war-related damage to central bridges and roads.

Update — 2026-06-08

Comprehensive maintenance of the bridge has begun on site. According to SANA on 5 May 2026, the General Establishment for Road Transport announced that traffic beneath al-Qasatel Bridge on the Latakia–Ariha motorway had been diverted onto a newly built bypass alongside the old road, ahead of comprehensive maintenance works that the agency reported would take two to four months. The works cover treating damaged sections, raising structural safety, replacing the top slab with a new concrete deck, and maintaining the concrete barriers along the route.

At corridor level, SANA reported on 8 June 2026 that the establishment is carrying out maintenance and rehabilitation of expansion joints on the bridges of the Latakia–Ariha motorway, about one kilometre before the al-Zubar junction toward Idlib, under contract No. 1 of 2025. The agency quoted Musab Ahmad, director of the establishment's Latakia branch, as saying the works cover treating and rehabilitating the expansion joints so as to preserve the bridges' structural safety, while keeping traffic flowing.

Sources

• https://sana.sy/locals/2467749/
• https://sana.sy/locals/2495913/
• https://sana.sy/video/2482202/