Last update:
2017-09-05

Fouad Boutros Highway, Lebanon

The Fouad Boutros Highway is promoted as a solution to reduce car traffic in the densely populated Achrafieh. However, activists and experts claim that the project will aggravate the traffic problems and will have several impacts on the environment.



Description:

The Fouad Boutros highway project is being promoted as the solution for road traffic and congestion in the heavily populated Achrafieh. However, activists, urban planners and environmental experts are against the implementation of the project claiming that it will aggravate traffic problems rather than solving them. Experts estimate that the highway project will cause the complete or partial demolition of approximately 30 buildings, some with high heritage value. Some of them also believe that there could be more buildings to be devastated and stated that the violent obliteration of the previous few decades is intolerable. These people also found that the demolition of properties and buildings can lead to economic problems for the residents since some of them claim not having enough money to rent or buy other apartments if the buildings were demolished. These residents are not properly, if at all, compensated by the government.   Additionally, activists and environmental professionals affirm that the implementation of the highway project is enormously harmful to the environment. According to them, the highway will lead to a great loss of the remaining greenery and biodiversity in the designated area because it will require the up-rooting of about 100 trees and the destruction of approximately 10,000 Sqm of green spaces. In response to these claims and to show activists and residents that the project is environment-friendly, the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) presented a map on which plants and trees are planted on the highway. However, activists and residents said that these trees will not be able to survive for a long time because of the hot weather of Beirut and that the trees will never replace the ancient ones that will be removed from gardens. Moreover, activists and experts found that the project causes a drastic increase in the air and noise pollution rates due to the increase of traffic and huge car flows on the highway as well as the streets leading to it. Experts assert that pollution will be most horrible at the entrance and exit of the tunnel because gases and fumes become concentrated inside and then evacuated at both ends. This has a huge impact on residents of the area since, according to international standards; it is prohibited to construct residential buildings at the ends of the tunnel. However, in the case of the highway project, the tunnel is located at the heart of a residential area which also includes academic, educational and health establishments. The escalation of the air and noise pollution problems will push people away from residing in the area.

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Basic Data
Name of conflict:Fouad Boutros Highway, Lebanon
Country:Lebanon
State or province:Beirut
Location of conflict:Beirut
Accuracy of locationMEDIUM (Regional level)
Source of Conflict
Type of conflict. 1st level:Infrastructure and Built Environment
Type of conflict. 2nd level:Urban development conflicts
Deforestation
Transport infrastructure networks (roads, railways, hydroways, canals and pipelines)
Land acquisition conflicts
Pollution related to transport (spills, dust, emissions)
Specific commodities:Land
Project Details and Actors
Project details

Fouad Boutros Highway project which is also known as the “Hekmeh-Turk” axis plan crosses Achrafieh, Rmeil and Medawar districts while splitting down the middle of the historic Mar Mikhael and Hekmeh neighbourhoods. It consists of a 1.3 km four-lane highway that links Alfred Naccache Road near Spinneys to the Charles el Helou highway near Beirut port. The project entails a series of crossings, a tunnel and underground parkings. The tunnel proceeds near the left edge of the Greek Orthodox church and then turns sharply to the right before continuing down to Salah Labki Street and then proceeds towards Armenia Street in Mar Mikhael. As for the underground parkings, the plan is to build one near Hekmeh High- School to serve the trading area, a second one near Electricity of Lebanon to serve Mar Mikhael and a third one after the intersection with Salah Labki road to serve the residential area and the Hospital of Saint George. The construction of this highway aims to reduce road traffic and congestion in Achrafieh which is a heavily populated city as well as providing parking spots for approximately 750 cars. In addition, it also aims to provide additional entrance and exit to the city of Beirut.

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Project area:169
Level of Investment for the conflictive project75,000,000
Type of populationUrban
Start of the conflict:01/03/2014
Company names or state enterprises:Matta Et Associes from Lebanon - Build the Highway
Relevant government actors:Municipality of Beirut
Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR)
http://www.cdr.gov.lb/
Ministry of Environment
http://www.moe.gov.lb/home.aspx
Ministry of Public Works
http://www.transportation.gov.lb/
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:Civil Coalition against the “Hikmeh-Turk” Axis
https://www.facebook.com/StopTheHighway/
Beirut Madinati
https://www.facebook.com/BeirutMadinati/
Conflict & Mobilization
IntensityMEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization)
Reaction stagePREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase)
Groups mobilizing:Local ejos
Neighbours/citizens/communities
Social movements
Local scientists/professionals
Forms of mobilization:Development of a network/collective action
Development of alternative proposals
Involvement of national and international NGOs
Media based activism/alternative media
Objections to the EIA
Official complaint letters and petitions
Public campaigns
Street protest/marches
Impacts
Environmental ImpactsPotential: Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Air pollution
Other Health impactsRespiratory Problems/ Lung Cancer
Socio-economical ImpactsVisible: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors
Potential: Loss of livelihood, Displacement, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place
Outcome
Project StatusStopped
Conflict outcome / response:Corruption
Proposal and development of alternatives:The Civil Coalition against the Fouad Boutros highway which consists of several local Environmental Justice Organizations (SBH, ALPH, etc.) as well as scientists and experts suggests building Fouad Boutros Park instead of the highway. This park which aims at conserving the green spaces and the remaining cultural heritage, should consist of public spaces and cultural venues for people to spend their holidays and vacations. Additionally, the Civil Coalition also recommends that the government should build a tunnel under Charles el Malek Avenue which will link Downtown with Emile Lahoud Avenue located in the east. This tunnel serves for the same purpose of the current highway plan; it is supposed to reduce road traffic and congestion but is more cost effective.
Moreover, Beirut Madinati and other NGOs (such as NAHNOO) suggest that a shift to public and shared modes of transportation would be efficient in reducing traffic and pollution (buses, taxies, etc.). For the same purpose, soft modes of mobility such as Biking were also suggested to a lesser extent.
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:Not Sure
Briefly explain:According to the director of Nahnoo NGO, Mohamad Ayoub, the mobilization was successful because protestors called for conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to the implementation of the project. The results of the EIA were against the execution of the project, thus, its achievement is now illegal. However, the project is suspended currently; the municipality of Beirut did not yet propose to cancel it.
Sources & Materials
References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries

Highway to Hell - Automobile Oriented Urban Development: The Case of Fouad Boutros Highway in Beirut
[click to view]

The Fouad Boutrous Highway
[click to view]

!الأشرفية في خطر
[click to view]

Proposed highway through Mar Mikhael prompts outrage
[click to view]

All you need to know on the Fouad Boutros Project and the Protests planned this weekend
[click to view]

The Full Story of The Controversial Fouad Boutros Project in Achrafieh
[click to view]

Activists, experts cry foul over Fouad Boutros Highway
[click to view]

Fouad Boutros

WIll it work? Official Boutros road map
[click to view]

STOP THE HIGHWAY, BUILD THE FOUAD BOUTROS PARK

A civil mobilisation against the "Fouad Boutros" highway
[click to view]

Fouad Boutros Project
[click to view]

Fight builds for Beirut's cultural heritage

Activists in Beirut are combating a municipality-backed road project they say will cut through historic neighbourhoods
[click to view]

The Fouad Boutros project raises more questions than it answers
[click to view]

Activists propose alternative to Fouad Boutros highway
[click to view]

Road to nowhere

The full story of the controversial Fouad Boutros Road in Ashrafieh
[click to view]

حمد: مشروع جادة فؤاد بطرس

ينسجم مع المفاهيم البيئيّة وليس تهجيريّــاً
[click to view]

Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network

The Civil Coalition against the Highway Project "Hekmeh-Turk" Axis Facebook Page
[click to view]

Online Petition
[click to view]

Meta information
Contributor:Tala Meraaby, Asfari Institute, AUB
Last update18/08/2019
Conflict ID:2853
Comments
Legal notice / Aviso legal
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