Typology

Landscape

Location

Lebanon

Year

2021

Client

Arch. Simonpietro Salini in his capacity as Chairman of Salini Costruttori Spa

Cost

—-

Builded surface

—-

Total surface

Construction of 220 km of highway

Services rendered

Technical and Economic Feasibility Study

This study was commissioned by architect Simonpietro Salini, chairman of Salini Costruttori spa, with the aim of assessing an alternative route to the existing motorway that runs along the entire coastline. Lebanon is a country where the highest population density is concentrated along the coastal strip. The country’s productive capacity, trade and airports are all concentrated in this area; as they pass through the city, they contribute to centralising the critical issues arising from the interference between urban and local uses and those of a productive and intermodal nature outside the city. The favourable proportions of the current highway, evident over long stretches and in certain sections even of recent construction in accordance with a design compatible with the points highlighted above, do not negate the problems arising from congestion caused by the numerous at-grade junctions that currently exist, which introduce serious conflicts due to density as well as the type of traffic and vehicles involved. The solution that the study should propose, and the design challenge it triggers, is to create a route dedicated to long-distance travel, clearly integrating with the built environment, serving it and, in turn, ensuring its own sustainability. A motorway corridor of approximately 220 km, financially structured as a project where the toll revenue aligns with the economic and financial plan on which it is based. The Territory: from a morphological perspective, the country rises from sea level to high elevations inland over short distances, leaving few design alternatives. The route through the cities, from Tyre to Sidon via Beirut to Byblos and Tripoli, accentuates the challenge and, in some cases, dictates the route clearly with no options. The environmental impact, which is intertwined with the social impact, means that the proposed route overlaps at certain elevations with the existing motorway and, in other situations, leads to alternative interpretations of the route. This results in a sustainable choice in terms of type, elevation, ancillary infrastructure and estimated construction costs. The objectives of this study are to offer support and provide food for thought regarding the possibility of transforming a necessity into an opportunity, for the country and for those who will take up the challenge of carrying the project forward.