Road Network

 

There are over 8,000 kilometers of roads in Lebanon, and there is a highway system that connects it to Syria.

There are three important highways in the nation, all of which branch out from Beirut. The road leading to Tripoli, the second-largest city in Lebanon, is located to the north. This route also travels through important cities like Jouniyeh and Jubayl. The road to Damascus is located to the east, passing past the important town of Chtaura as it crosses the Lebanon Mountains. The route to Saida and Tyre is to the south. A second road axis connecting north and south in Lebanon follows the length of the Bekaa Valley.The large market towns of Baalbek and Zahle are connected to the main road network via roads in the northern valley, which intersect on the Beirut-Damascus highway at Chtaura. The local road system in the southern valley is centered on Chtaura, which is located at its northern end.

In times of conflict or bad weather, cross-mountain routes that connect the southern Bekaa Valley with Saida and the northern Bekaa Valley with Jouniyeh and Tripoli are crucial.

Despite the fact that 95% of the roads are paved, traffic is growing quite quickly. With one car for every three people, Lebanon now boasts one of the highest car-to-person ratios in the world.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport in Lebanon, the main government agency, is divided into four directorates:

1) The Directorate General of Land and Maritime Transport, which is in charge of establishing, carrying out, and overseeing all regulations pertaining to land and maritime transportation

2) Directorate General of Roads and Buildings, which is in charge of creating, renovating, and maintaining public roads and official structures

3) Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is in charge of establishing and carrying out national air transportation regulations in accordance with international regulations and managing air traffic over Lebanese territory.

4) Directorate General of Urban Planning, which is in charge of developing and implementing land use policy.

In addition, the Ministry of Public Works' Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and the Council of Development and Reconstruction (CDR) are in charge of building and maintaining Lebanon's roads.

Transport Corridors

Transport Corridors Lebanon and Syria are connected by three operational corridors.  These passageways are:

 

1) The border crossing at Al Masnaa-Al-Jdeidah, located in eastern Lebanon, is 60 kilometers from Damascus and 110 kilometers from Beirut.  The principal route between the capitals of Syria and Lebanon is this one.

 

2) The Al-Arida-Tartous border crossing (in Lebanon's northwest).  This corridor, which is near the coast, is frequently used to transfer merchandise between Syria and Lebanon.  On the Syrian side, it is 45 km away from Tartous, while on the Lebanese side, it is 170 km away from Beirut.

3) The border crossing at Al-Abboudiyeh and Al-Dabouseyah (in Lebanon's northeast).  From the Syrian side, this corridor connects the Homs Governorate to Tripoli from the Lebanese side.  It is frequently used for freight transportation, particularly for items going to Iraq in transit.

Heavy snowfall during the winter months has temporarily made it difficult to use the international roadway leading to the Lebanon-Syrai Al Masnaa Crossing in the Dahr al Baidar region. However, the Ministry of Public Works typically resolves this in little more than one day. The Beirut-Damascus highway has occasionally been shut down for security concerns, but overall it continues to be the most reliable route for travel between Lebanon and Syria.

 

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Distance Matrix

Distances from Capital City to Major Towns (km)
	Beirut	Tripoli	Sidon	Batroun	Tyre	Aley	Chtaura	Halba(Akkar)
Beirut		84	46	56	88	14	40	114
Tripoli			130	33	175	92	86	30
Sidon				100	45	43	66	55
Batroun					147	63	65	63
Tyre						54	106	204
Aley							28	116
Chtaura								104
Halba(Akkar)

 

Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns (KM)
	Beirut	Tripoli	Sidon	Batroun	Tyre	Aley	Chtaura	Halba(Akkar)
Beirut		1.5 h	45 min	1 h	1.5 h	15 min	45 min	2 h
Tripoli			2 h	30 min	2.5 h	1.5 h	1.5 h	30 min
Sidon				2 h	45 min	1 h	1 h	1 h
Batroun					2 h	1 h	1 h	1 h
Tyre						1 h	2 h	2.5 h
Aley							30 min	2 h
Chtaura								1.5 h
Halba(Akkar)

Road Security

Efforts to ensure the safety of motorists on the country's roads are currently met with a variety of obstacles in Lebanon. A complex security environment has developed in the nation as a result of its particular geopolitical status, occasionally affecting road safety. Armed checkpoints are common in Lebanon, and their maintenance by various security forces is a reflection of the country's larger security concerns. Although the main goal of these checkpoints is to maintain law and order, they can occasionally cause traffic jams and make other road users feel uneasy.

In addition, the state of road infrastructure and upkeep has been hampered by economic hardship and political unrest. Drivers now face additional dangers due to deteriorating roads, limited signage, and poor illumination. Road safety hazards may become worse if traffic laws and enforcement are inconsistent. Urban traffic congestion, particularly in Beirut, is a major problem that can lengthen travel times, aggravate other road users, and pose safety issues.

In response to these difficulties, attempts have been made to solve the problem of road security. Concerned people, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations have advocated for increased road safety education, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, and improvements in road infrastructure. Even while there has been progress, there are still continuous economic and political uncertainties that make it difficult to put in place comprehensive road safety measures. To guarantee the safety and security of drivers across Lebanon, these challenges must be addressed.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

In Lebanon, weighbridges are essential for managing and regulating vehicle loads to maintain traffic safety and safeguard road infrastructure. Vehicles operating on the nation's highways must comply with particular load constraints stipulated by current rules. To monitor and enforce these load restrictions, weighbridges are strategically positioned at numerous locations, including busy highways and border crossings.

These laws are necessary to prevent overloading, which puts the environment and road safety at risk by causing excessive wear and tear on bridges, roads, and other infrastructure. Vehicles that are discovered to be heavier than the permitted limits may be subject to fines and penalties. Relevant agencies in charge of upholding these laws and ensuring compliance keep an eye on weighbridge operations.

Weighbridges support fair competition among transport companies, ensure the effectiveness of logistics operations, and help to maintain the integrity of the road system. Lebanon wants to improve traffic safety, reduce infrastructure damage, and build a more sustainable transportation system by banning heavy vehicles off the highways.

 

Axle Load Limits	Lebanon (Commercial)MT	Lebanon (Donations/Humanitarian) MT
Truck with 2 Axles	25	30
Truck with 3 Axles	35	40
Truck with 4 Axles	n/a	n/a
Semi-trailer with 3 Axles	n/a	n/a
Semi-trailer with 4 Axles	35	40
Semi-trailer with 6 Axles	n/a	n/a
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 4 Axles	n/a	n/a
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 5 Axles	n/a	n/a
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 6 Axles	n/a	n/a
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 7 Axles	n/a	n/a

Road Class and Surface Conditions

From	To	International Road No.	Distance in km	Road condition & environment
				No of. Lanes	Age	Environment
Dabousseyah cross border (Syria-Lebanon)	Aboudeyah cross border (Lebanon-Syria)	M51	18	2	>20	Coastal
Aboudeyah cross border (Lebanon-Syria)	Tripoli	M51	5	2	>25	Coastal
Tripoli	Beirut	M51	83	4 (Note: 2 and 3 lanes at some points)	>20	Coastal
Beirut	Al-Naqoora	M51	104	3 (and 2 lanes before Tyre until Naqoura)	>20	Coastal
Jedeidah cross border (Syria-Lebanon	Al-Massnaá cross border (Lebanon-Syria)	M30	6	2 lanes each side	>20	Mountainous
Al-Masnaa cross border (Lebanon-Syria)	Beirut	M30	53	4	>25	Mountainous
Total Lebanon International Road Distance	269 km

Road Inventory

Classification	Width/meter	Length/ km
International Roads	10/14	269
Primary Roads (highways)	10/14	261
Primary Roads	10/8	1650
Secondary Roads	5/8	1340
Local Roads	4/6	2810
Total	6,330 km