Jounieh highway expansion: hope, doubts, and a $40 million lifeline

After years of delays, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works has relaunched the rehabilitation and expansion of the Jounieh coastal highway. With funding secured, expropriation hurdles under review, and local authorities on board, the project promises to ease crippling traffic and boost economic development along the Lebanese coast.

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rassamny chaired a wide-ranging meeting at his office this week, attended by the President of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), Mohammad Qabbani, MPs from Keserwan and Jbeil, and local mayors. The goal: to put the Jounieh highway rehabilitation “back on the right track” after years of political and bureaucratic gridlock.

“This project is not just about asphalt and concrete,” Rassamny said. “It is about relieving citizens of daily suffering, restoring mobility along the coast, and creating a development lifeline for the region and the country.”

Funding secured, expropriations pending

Unlike many Lebanese infrastructure projects, money is not the problem this time. The minister confirmed that financing is already secured and that contracts have been awarded. Remaining obstacles revolve around land expropriations, which a parliamentary committee is expected to resolve within two weeks. Officials insist compensation will be handled legally and fairly.

MP Sajih Attieh had earlier described the $40 million package covering both expropriations and construction as “historic,” noting that the CDR has already completed the technical studies. Work is expected to begin soon at the northern entrance of Beirut.

Completion is projected to take three to four years, provided there are no major disruptions. Infrastructure experts suggest the final bill could rise above the announced $40 million, possibly reaching $200–250 million given the scale of widening, resurfacing, and upgrading required.

For the tens of thousands of commuters who crawl through Jounieh’s traffic daily, optimism is mixed with caution.

A wider economic vision

Minister Rassamny tied the project to broader national ambitions, including the long-discussed reopening of Qlayaat Airport. Together, he argued, the two infrastructure projects could become “economic engines” for the coast and beyond.

MP Ziad Hawat emphasized that residents can no longer afford to lose hours of productivity daily: “This artery is vital. It must be rehabilitated without further

delay.”

To ensure accountability, a committee of municipal leaders has been formed to monitor works, address violations, and report irregularities.

From gridlock to growth?

For decades, the Jounieh highway has been a symbol of Lebanon’s infrastructural decay overloaded, undermaintained, and chronically jammed. If this long-promised expansion is completed, it could become a rare example of successful cooperation between ministries, municipalities, and parliamentarians.

For now, weary commuters keep inching along the old road, hoping that this time, relief doesn’t remain stuck in traffic.