Beirut: Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, on Tuesday said, in an interview on LBCI, that “the damage inflicted on infrastructure as a result of the war is severe,” noting that “more than 15 bridges have been either totally or partially damaged,” at a time when the ministry still lacks a precise and comprehensive assessment of the scale of the losses.

According to National News Agency – Lebanon, Rasamny estimated the overall cost of the destruction at between $7 billion and $8 billion, pointing out that the ministry’s current budget is “very limited and not commensurate with the scale of the challenges.”

Minister Rasamny also explained that “the ministry had already prepared an advance action plan and began implementing it as soon as the ceasefire entered into force, with field teams deployed at 3:00 a.m., giving priority to clearing rubble and reopening roads linking villages to one another, with the aim of restoring connectivity between areas and enabling citizens to reach their homes.”

The Public Works Minister then pointed out that “technical teams worked on a large number of vital axes, most notably the full reopening of the Qasmiyeh Bridge and the reactivation of the Borj Rahhal highway through emergency treatments and the provision of additional lanes, alongside broad interventions inside numerous villages to facilitate movement.”

With regard to the ministry’s plan to address the damage, Rasamny explained that it “is based on three integrated phases: beginning with the removal of debris and the reopening of roads; followed by the construction of temporary or permanent culverts to ensure continuity of movement; and culminating in the preparation of comprehensive engineering studies for the reconstruction of damaged bridges and infrastructure as soon as a full ceasefire is secured.”

Rasamny went on to reveal that “work has already begun with consultants to prepare these studies, in order to allow for the launch of a comprehensive reconstruction process at the appropriate time.”

On the issue of infrastructure development, Rasamny noted that “the project to widen the Jounieh highway had been proposed for funding from the ministry’s budget, while the Council for Development and Reconstruction is carrying out the necessary amendments to some of its details,” stressing that “the appropriations had been secured before the outbreak of the war.”

Moreover, the Minister added that “good news” would soon be announced regarding Qlayaat Airport, within the framework of the ministry’s drive to strengthen infrastructure capacity and raise its level of preparedness in the next phase.

In the same context, and in response to a question from MP Jimmy Jabbour about the Akkar highway, Minister Rasamny pointed out that “the discussion on developing this axis is directly linked to the Qlayaat Airport file,” stressing that “it is not possible to speak of operating the airport without securing a safe and passable road linking it to the rest of the regions.”

Minister Rasamny explained that “a number of consultants are currently working on this file, and the ministry now has more than one option on the table to link Tripoli to Qlayaat Airport, with work to be completed as soon as conditions improve and the war ends.”

In conclusion, he pointed out that “the ministry has taken a decision this year to focus on the main international roads that make a direct difference in citizens’ lives.”