Workers are working on the section of the highway connecting Metn to Bekaa via Dahr al-Baidar, on Aug. 7, 2026. (Credit: Public works ministry)
BEIRUT — The public works ministry announced Friday the start of renovations on a 17 kilometer section of the Dahr al-Baidar highway, a project it has been preparing since last spring.
The section extends from the Sofar interchange, which leads to Sawfar (Aley,) to the Qab Elias junction in Shtaura, Bekaa, and passes through the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint at the top of the mountain pass.
The works will last for one year and include "landslide treatment and roadway reinforcement at eight identified points along the route, as well as resurfacing, road marking, and installation of safety equipment," according to the ministry's statement. It noted that the duration of the work will likely be affected by weather conditions, as the Dahr al-Baidar pass sits at 1,500 meters, an elevation often covered in snow during winter.
"The surveying and route demarcation operations" will also "impact the pace of the project," the statement added.
The ministry will also coordinate with the Internal Security Forces and other police agencies to "establish detours and alternative routes in several areas" in order to limit the project's impact on this very busy corridor, used by both individuals and transporters, especially during rush hours.
This section is part of the Damascus road connecting Beirut and Bekaa, which extends through the plain to the border with Syria. The ministry, however, warned that traffic jams will be unavoidable during some phases of the work "given the narrowness of the road, especially in areas where stabilization of landslides requires occupying a significant portion of the roadway."
The ministry announced this project last June after receiving numerous complaints about the condition of this mountain highway. It then stated it had made this dossier a priority because of the strategic importance of the route and indicated it had "completed the necessary procedures for awarding a rehabilitation and maintenance contract for the international road linking Hazmieh to Shtaura, for a cost of about $8.5 million."
