Rehabilitation of the Main Raqqa Bridge (Al-Rashid)

Project Overview

The project rehabilitated the Main Raqqa Bridge, known as Al-Rashid Bridge or the New Bridge, which crosses the Euphrates River in Raqqa city between the Al-Jazeera and Al-Shamiya banks. According to SANA, the bridge was built in the 1960s, is about 525 metres long and links the city with its southern and western countryside. The works restored an 80-metre damaged section that had put the bridge out of service, and the bridge was reopened on 6 July 2026.

Engineering Works

On 16 February 2026, after the Ministry of Transport reopened Raqqa's Old Bridge (Al-Mansour) following emergency repairs, the Director General of the General Establishment for Road Transport told SANA that the final rehabilitation and repair works on Al-Rashid Bridge would start soon. Works began later that month and were carried out by the Raqqa branch of the Syrian Establishment for Building and Construction (SEBCO). On 21 February, the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Housing for Technical Affairs inspected the site and told SANA that the first stage covered removing the soil and fill placed on the bridge earlier to open the road temporarily, breaking up the destroyed concrete slabs, and then inspecting and treating the structural piers.

In March 2026, SEBCO workshops completed casting the base of the damaged pier, SANA reported on 21 March. On 27 May, SANA reported that the works had entered their final stages, and SEBCO's director said that teams had started casting the bridge's prestressed concrete deck. On 28 June, the General Establishment for Road Transport said the insulation works were almost complete and that only the slope layer and final paving remained, according to Al-Ikhbariah.

SANA put the duration of the rehabilitation works at four months and reported that the damaged 80-metre section was structurally reinforced with reinforced concrete.

Supervision and Execution

The sources describe the roles of four bodies:

• Ministry of Public Works and Housing: according to SANA (22 February 2026), the ministry works through its construction establishments to rehabilitate the bridge as part of a comprehensive plan, and its deputy minister for technical affairs said the ministry was following all stages of the work closely.
• Ministry of Transport (General Establishment for Road Transport): the establishment's director general told SANA on 2 March 2026 that it was closely following the details of the work. SANA reported on 21 March that the project was carried out under the establishment's supervision, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, through SEBCO's workshops.
• Raqqa Governorate: Al-Thawra reported that the General Establishment for Road Transport carried out the project in coordination with SEBCO and Raqqa Governorate.
• Syrian Establishment for Building and Construction (SEBCO): its Raqqa branch carried out the construction works, according to SANA.

At the reopening, Minister of Transport Yarub Badr told SANA that the rehabilitation was the result of a joint effort by the Ministry of Transport, represented by the General Establishment for Road Transport, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, represented by SEBCO, and Raqqa Governorate.

Context

SANA reported that the project was part of a plan to rehabilitate vital infrastructure in Raqqa Governorate. According to Al-Ikhbariah, it fell within the General Establishment for Road Transport's plan to rehabilitate damaged bridges in Raqqa, led by the Al-Rashid and Al-Mansour bridges.

Deir Ezzor 24 reported in February 2026 that the bridge is a main crossing for commercial trucks, buses and cars, and that while it was out of service, truck drivers had to detour through Tabqa and cross from the Al-Shamiya bank to Al-Jazeera over the Euphrates Dam, which raised transport costs and goods prices in the markets.

Minister of Public Works and Housing Mustafa Abdul Razzaq told SANA that the bridge is important for connecting the two banks of the Euphrates and reviving economic activity. In March, the director of SEBCO in Raqqa told SANA that the bridge helps ease transport between the city and its countryside, and in May SEBCO's director said that reopening the bridge would support transport and economic, agricultural and commercial activity between the city and its southern and western countryside.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which bridge does this project cover?

It covers the Main Raqqa Bridge, known as Al-Rashid Bridge or the New Bridge, which crosses the Euphrates River in Raqqa city between the Al-Jazeera and Al-Shamiya banks.

Is the bridge back in service?

Yes. It was reopened on 6 July 2026 after the rehabilitation was completed, according to SANA, which describes it as one of Raqqa's main crossings over the Euphrates, serving passenger and commercial traffic, and says it was designed to carry loads of more than 100 tonnes. At the reopening, Minister of Transport Yarub Badr said the bridge eases the movement of citizens and vehicles, Al-Thawra reported.

Who carried out the project?

The Raqqa branch of the Syrian Establishment for Building and Construction (SEBCO), representing the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, carried out the construction works. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing and the General Establishment for Road Transport at the Ministry of Transport followed the work, which SANA reported was under the establishment's supervision, and Raqqa Governorate took part in coordination, according to Al-Thawra.

What works were completed in Q1 2026?

The first stage in February covered removing the soil and fill from the bridge, breaking up the destroyed concrete slabs and inspecting the piers; in March, SEBCO completed casting the base of the damaged pier, according to SANA.

How was the work phased?

The works began with clearing the bridge and inspecting and treating the piers, followed by casting the base of the damaged pier, then the prestressed concrete deck, the insulation and the final paving, before the bridge reopened on 6 July 2026.

Bridge reopened — 2026-07-06

The project is complete and the bridge is back in service. According to SANA on 6 July 2026, the Al-Rashid Bridge over the Euphrates in the city of Raqqa was reopened after rehabilitation works were finished.

The agency reported that the General Establishment for Road Transport, part of the Ministry of Transport, completed the works in cooperation with the Syrian Establishment for Building and Construction in Raqqa Governorate, over four months with ten engineers and around one hundred workers. The scope covered an 80-metre damaged section, structurally reinforced with reinforced concrete, and consumed approximately 180 tonnes of steel, 40 tonnes of cables and 1,600 cubic metres of concrete; the bridge is designed to carry loads exceeding 100 tonnes. SANA reported that elevated river water levels were among the main challenges facing the work teams.

Sources

• https://sana.sy/governorates/alrakkah/2520797/