Editing Transport in Syria (section)

== Road transport ==
An overland trans-desert bus service between [[Beirut]], [[Haifa]], [[Damascus]] and [[Baghdad]] was established by the ''[[Nairn Transport Company]]'' of Damascus in 1923.<ref name=SAW>[https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198104/the.nairn.way.htm The Nairn Way] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429080050/https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198104/the.nairn.way.htm |date=2014-04-29 }} by John M. Munro and Martin Love in ''Saudi Aramco World'', July/August 1981, Vol. 32, No. 4. Retrieved 28 April 2014.</ref>

=== Roads ===
[[File:Autostrada Map-SYR.png|Map of Syrian Motorways|thumb|right]]
''total:''
68,157&nbsp;km
<br/>''paved:''
61,514&nbsp;km (including 1,103&nbsp;km of expressways)
<br/>''unpaved:''
6,643&nbsp;km (2006)

===Motorways===

Syria has a well-developed system of [[motorway]]s in the western half of the country. The eastern part nevertheless has only connection through two lanes roads due to the sparsity of the population. The main motorways in Syria are the following:

*[[M1 motorway (Syria)|M1]] - Runs from [[Homs]] to [[Latakia]]. It also connects [[Tartus]], [[Baniyas]] and [[Jableh]]. Its length is 174&nbsp;km.
*M2 - Runs from [[Damascus]] to [[Jdeidat Yabous]], on the [[Lebanon–Syria border|border with Lebanon]]. It also connects [[Al-Sabboura]]. Its length is 38&nbsp;km.
*[[M4 Motorway (Syria)|M4]] - Runs from [[Latakia]] to [[Saraqib]]. It also connects [[Arihah]] and [[Jisr al-Shughur]]. Its length is 120&nbsp;km. Assuming that it shares some 60&nbsp;km with the Motorway M5, it arrives until [[Aleppo]], and from there, it has been expanded as a two-lane expressway that continues further east into the [[Iraq–Syria border|Iraqi border]], ultimately reaching its destination at [[Mosul]].
*[[M5 Motorway (Syria)|M5]] - This is the most important motorway in the country,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/the-m5-highway-of-death-is-the-key-to-controlling-syria-33692|title=The M5 highway of death is the key to controlling Syria|website=The M5 highway of death is the key to controlling Syria}}</ref> due to its length and as it functions as the south–north backbone of the country network. It connects the [[Jordan–Syria border|border with Jordan]] in the south with [[Damascus]], the capital, and continues further north to [[Aleppo]], the country's second largest city. Its length is {{convert|450|km}}.<ref name=ap-20200214>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/9f6d1f6ea8866e2d82e41b9bf08e67a5 |title=AP Explains: Why Syria's M5 is Assad's highway to victory |last=Karam |first=Zeina |author-link=Zeina Karam |publisher=Associated Press |date=14 February 2020 |access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=haaretz-20200222>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/highway-linking-largest-syrian-cities-reopens-after-eight-years-1.8564876 |title=Highway Linking Largest Syrian Cities Reopens After Eight Years |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Haaretz |date=22 February 2020 |access-date=13 March 2020}}</ref>
*M20 - Also known as Desert Highway. Runs from [[Tadmur]] to [[Deir ez-Zor]], it also connects [[Al-Sukhnah, Syria|Al-Sukhnah]]. Its length is {{convert|203|km}}.

=== Developments ===
* 2022 - proposed east–west highway between [[Iraq–Syria border|Syrian–Iraqi border]] ([[Abu Kamal]]) and [[Tartus]] through [[Homs]].
* 2023 - proposed north–south highway linking the [[Syria–Turkey border|Syrian-Turkish border]] in the north with the [[Jordan–Syria border|Syrian-Jordanian border]] in the south through Aleppo, Homs and Damascus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sana.sy/en/?p=309684|title=Syria- China discuss developing transport cooperation|publisher=[[Syrian Arab News Agency]]|date=29 May 2023|access-date=30 May 2023|author=Bushra Dabin/Shaza Qriema}}</ref>