The project consist of a railway and tunnel linking Beirut’s Port to a Dry Port in the Bekaa alley to reorganize and enhance its efficiency.
The target of the projects is to increasing cargo flows and to create an appropriate transport infrastructures network that would open and serve news regions.
The ultimate objective of the project is to improve the national economy and restore Lebanon’s role in the levant transit and trade.
OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
– Improvement and development of infrastructure to rejuvenate the current economic situation;
– Measures to Reinstate Lebanon as a major partner in the regional competition arena;
– Make Lebanon a principal player within the Trade Exchange Network of the Region with all the positive returns to the Lebanese People.
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
– Transit problems between Lebanon and Syria affecting the flow of Agricultural and Industrial products
– Beirut Port Capacity requires development to handle a large portion of the potential maritime and terrestrial transit
– Absence of an adequate Dry Port/Free zone facility to allow Lebanon to participate actively in the region’s E-Commerce and the eventual re-construction of Syria
– Limited financial resources to upgrade the country’s infrastructure
– Heavy traffic between Beirut and the Bekaa, causing congestion on the mountain roads, air pollution and delays in delivery
– Problems related to waste disposal and recycling and its negative effects on health, environment and tourism
– Beirut needs to increase its water supply which, can be drawn from the mount of Lebanon aquifers
– Natural Gas exploitation has been hampered by the absence of adequate transport means.
DIRECT BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT
– Cost of the study to be assumed by the consortium.
– Involving the private sector and strategic partners in state-of-the-art infrastructures
– Creating a direct cargo railway link to a mega Dry Port in the Bekaa valley
– Using the existing old passenger station in Mar-Mekhail
– Reducing the drastic traffic between Beirut and the Bekaa and its related air pollution
– The capital crossing will be over the Beirut River to avoid costly land expropriation
– Direct crossing of the mountains via a 26-kilometer tunnel
– Using several million cubic meters of rubble to reclaim land for strategic use
– Solving the problem of the Beirut Port expansion
– Creating a long awaited Free-zone and gearing up for E-commerce
– Preparedness for the reconstruction of Syria
– Creating thousands of jobs, and a news economic cycle
– Jumpstarting the rail system in Lebanon and upgrading its general transport strategy
– Giving local and international investors a boots of confidence inline with Cedre1 directives and recommendations
– Confirming Lebanon as the main Transit Hub in the region
– In additino to various added value facilities that will boost the project’s feasibility