Lebanon moves forward with long-delayed highway expansion, set to ease traffic after years — the details

Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, has advanced the project to expand the Nahr al-Kalb–Tabarja highway, which had been halted in 2019 due to the financial collapse.

The 11-kilometer highway will be widened from its current two lanes for cars to three lanes, with an additional fourth service lane. Commercial shops will be separated from the three main lanes to prevent traffic congestion.

The project had previously been delayed by encroachments along the eastern and western lanes, which were protected by political support.

The committee formed by the minister includes the mayors of Zouk Mikael, Zouk Mosbeh, Jounieh, and Ghazir, along with representatives from the Council for Development and Reconstruction and the Ministry of Public Works. 

Its work will focus on preparing a detailed report within two weeks on expropriations not yet executed and on violations that need to be removed for the highway expansion—around 35 property violations, with 30 in Jounieh and five in Zouk Mikael.

According to LBCI sources, expropriation payments will be made at pre-crisis estimated values, totaling LBP 50 billion. Property owners are expected to reject this, given potential losses from the increased dollar exchange rate. 

Sources following the case say the Ministry of Public Works will leave the matter to the judiciary to resolve.

The project’s cost is estimated between $60 million and $65 million, to be paid gradually over three and a half years, with the ministry allocating around $20 million annually from its budget.

In a few weeks, the fate of the project will become clear: whether it will finally move forward after years of delay or face new obstacles due to political interference and influence.