On Thursday, the Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES) inaugurated the new Bridge of Raqqa, also known as Al-Rashid Bridge, in Raqqa.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the DAANES institutions and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), along with local dignitaries and residents.

The ceremony began with a minute of silence in honor of the revolution’s martyrs. This was followed by a speech from Jihad Omar, co-chair of the Local Administrations Authority, who praised the achievement. He noted that the project took two years to complete and dedicated the new bridge to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Raqqa.

After the speeches, the celebrations began, and people walked on the new bridge in an atmosphere of joy and jubilation.

The Local Administrations Authority started rehabilitating the bridge on October 13, 2022, to alleviate pressure on the other bridges over the Euphrates River and to facilitate land and agricultural trade in the region.

The New Bridge is one of the important bridges in Raqqa, connecting the two banks of the Euphrates River. Originally built in the 1960s, the bridge was completely out of service in January 2017, having been destroyed during the presence of terrorist factions in Raqqa.

Due to the unavailability of necessary materials and the difficulty of securing them due to the blockade imposed on northeastern Syria, the completion of the project was slightly delayed. The contractual period was 360 days, but the actual implementation took 570 days, about two years.

The project was implemented using local and national expertise. Many engineers participated in preparing technical and engineering studies for the bridge and supervised and executed all phases according to the technical and temporal plans. The construction adhered to the highest international standards for bridge design and implementation, including bottom and height structures. The project utilized the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) standards.

Raqqa is experiencing significant growth in commercial and agricultural activity due to its strategic location between the al-Jazeera district and the Syrian interior. This growth has led to increased traffic congestion, with a rising number of freight cars coming into the city. The old bridge could no longer handle the traffic pressure. However, the rehabilitation of the new bridge is expected to significantly alleviate the pressure on both the city and the old bridge.