Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh
Stretching over 200 kilometers through the heart of the Syrian desert, the Deir Ezzor-Palmyra road has turned into a nightmare for travelers due to its poor condition and the disruption of internet connectivity along its route.
This vital artery connecting two ancient governorates (Deir Ezzor and Homs), which was once a symbol of communication and trade, has become, for years now, the “road of death” that lurks ominously for travelers, claiming their lives in accidents that occur almost daily.
The road is narrow, barely accommodating one vehicle in each direction, making it a constant site for hazardous encounters between cars and trucks. Attempts to overtake are fraught with danger, and the potholes scattered along the road create a catastrophic traffic environment.
Isolation in the heart of the desert
The disruption of communication adds to the suffering of travelers on the Deir Ezzor-Palmyra road, a problem that is no less grave and significant than the narrowness of the roads. The near-total lack of cellular communication networks isolates travelers as soon as they venture away from the two cities.
According to travelers interviewed by Enab Baladi, on the road one cannot communicate with their loved ones to reassure them, nor can they call for help in case of an emergency, whether it be a breakdown of their vehicle or any accident.
This disruption increases the travelers’ feelings of impotence and loneliness in case of any misfortune, with questions arising like what if the car breaks down in the middle of the desert, or what if the bus has an accident?
The road connects from Deir Ezzor to Palmyra and then to Damascus, and has witnessed repeated accidents recently. Six civilians died, including four who were on a passenger bus and two in a truck loaded with sheep, following a traffic accident that occurred near the village of al-Shoula on the Deir Ezzor-Palmyra road, due to a direct collision between the bus and the truck on May 10.
The accident also resulted in the death of about 20 sheep and significant material damage to both vehicles, according to the Syria Civil Defence.
The Civil Defence mentioned that emergency and rescue teams responded to the accident, in cooperation with the ambulance system in Deir Ezzor city, where the bodies were transferred to the national hospital for delivery to the victims’ families.
Engineer Ahmed al-Ali, a resident of Deir Ezzor, considered that the current state of the road represents a real burden on the locals. The narrowness of the road and its inability to handle the increasing traffic makes it a hotspot for unfortunate accidents that claim innocent lives.
Al-Ali told Enab Baladi that expanding the road has become an urgent necessity for protecting people’s lives and facilitating their daily lives, calling on the relevant authorities to take immediate action to execute this vital project and allocate the necessary resources to ensure its swift completion; the safety and comfort of the region’s residents deserve all efforts.
Plan to improve the road
On May 13, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdulsalam Haykal, confirmed that the recurring disruptions on the international Damascus-Deir Ezzor road are being addressed through urgent solutions until the infrastructure modernization project for communications is completed to ensure stable services completely.
Haykal added that “specialized technical teams have been commissioned to implement immediate measures to improve the service and begin installing communication towers for Syriatel and MTN along the Deir Ezzor-Damascus road within the administrative borders of Deir Ezzor province, concurrently enhancing cooperation with the relevant authorities to protect the infrastructure from sabotage and theft.”
For his part, Engineer Abdul Karim Khader, the Director of the Road Transport Authority’s branch in Deir Ezzor, emphasized the strategic importance of the Deir Ezzor-Palmyra-Damascus road, stating it is the vital artery connecting the east of the country to its center and extending regionally.
Khader mentioned to Enab Baladi that the authority has laid out a comprehensive plan to rehabilitate and develop the road by repairing the existing route, enhancing traffic safety measures promptly through the installation of signage and reflectors, activating traffic surveillance with cameras and patrols, and establishing emergency points and initial rest stops.
He added that there is a long-term strategic vision that includes studying the establishment of an alternative expressway leading to the Iraqi borders, resuming the proposal for the railway line between Deir Ezzor and Damascus, and encouraging investments in transport infrastructure.
Khader continued that addressing the causes of accidents lies in installing smart cameras, strict enforcement of traffic laws, establishing periodic technical inspection centers, launching comprehensive traffic awareness campaigns, controlling axial loads and dimensions of heavy vehicles by installing fixed and mobile scales, imposing fines on violators linked to a central electronic monitoring system.
Khader considered that these measures aim to make the Deir Ezzor-Palmyra-Damascus road safer and more efficient, promoting economic and social development in the region and Syria as a whole.
Deir Ezzor-Palmyra: Death road in the heart of the desert Enab Baladi.
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