Ruptly
"Maintenance and reconstruction work continues at the Al-Arida Border bridge between Syria and Lebanon, aimed at restoring the crossing and resuming passenger traffic after it was damaged in Israeli airstrikes in December 2024. Footage filmed on Tuesday shows the extensive damage to the bridge, as bulldozers and heavy machinery continue to clear debris and carry out construction work. Workers were also seen preparing cement foundations inside the crossing area, while Lebanese security personnel and buildings were visible on the opposite side of the border. Abdallah Al-Ali, head of the Maintenance Workshops Department at Al-Arida Crossing, said the new bridge will be 27 metres long and 12 metres wide in each direction, adding that construction is expected to take between four and five months. "Construction work on the new bridge at the Al-Arida border crossing with Lebanon has begun, following the decommissioning of the previous bridge due to Israeli airstrikes last year and subsequent damage to the temporary bridge built during the Lebanon war," he noted. The Al-Arida border crossing was first taken out of service on December 6, 2024, following Israeli airstrikes targeting the bridge and surrounding infrastructure in the border area. Ammar al-Zir, head of public relations at Al-Arida Crossing, said the crossing had previously been opened on an emergency basis during the war in Lebanon to receive Syrians arriving from Lebanese territory and to facilitate pedestrian movement, despite severe damage to the infrastructure and the bridge. "God willing, the rehabilitation and construction work will be completed in the near future, in preparation for the bridge being returned to full and safe service for passenger traffic and border crossings," al-Zir added. On March 7, the Syrian Interim Government’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs announced the reopening of the crossing for pedestrians only, responding to requests from Syrians residing in Lebanon who wished to return home, despite the bridge having collapsed in mid-January due to rising water levels on the Great Southern River. In a related development, the Qamar Border Crossing was reopened to passenger traffic on May 4. Syria and Lebanon are connected by six official land border crossings stretching across approximately 375 kilometres."
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