Infrastructure and road rehabilitation projects play an important role in the road to recovery, and have far-reaching implications for promoting economic growth and development

The White Helmets have launched a project aimed at the rehabilitation and asphalting of the Al-Amoud-Sarmada road, located to the north of Idlib. Spanning a length of 4,790 meters, this road holds paramount importance as a lifeline for accessing essential medical service, connecting three crucial medical centers: the Primary Care Center in Sarmada, the Al-Iman Women's Hospital, and the Psychiatric Hospital.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to rehabilitate roads in northwestern Syria, encompassing projects fully executed by The White Helmets, and others carried out by the operational coalition comprised of the Syrian Forum, The White Helmets, and the Syrian American Medical Society as part of efforts to improve the fragile infrastructure due to disasters and the prolonged war in Syria.

Project Objective
The project focuses on rehabilitating and asphalting the 4,790-meter-long Al-Amoud Road in Sarmada town. The road's severe deterioration, with potholes and collapses caused by heavy traffic and excessive loads, has led to accidents, work delays, and vehicle breakdowns. This has imposed a significant economic burden on residents. Thus, revitalizing the road is critical to alleviate these issues.

Work on the project began on August 1 and will continue until September 10. The first phase includes the rehabilitation of the Sarmada-Al-Jabal Al-Qibli road, followed by the rehabilitation of secondary roads and some points from the Idlib-Bab Al-Hawa highway to the south and west of Sarmada.

Mechanism of Action

The White Helmets is rehabilitating the 4790-meter-long road through the following steps:

1. Road Establishment: Creating the road's foundation and layout.
2. Asphalt Layer: Applying a 7 cm thick asphalt layer to the entire length.
3. Lighting Installation: Placing lighting poles for nighttime visibility.
4. Pavement Addition: Adding interlocking stone pavements on both sides.

The process involves the following layers:

• Foundation Layer: A 30 cm thick layer underpinning the road, with varying width as needed.
• Gravel Base Layer: A 15 cm thick layer serving as the road's base, with width adjusted to match requirements.
• MC0 Impregnation Layer: Applied where possible, at a rate of 1.5 kg / m², with width adjusted based on conditions.
• Asphalt Layer: A single 7 cm thick layer spanning the road's full length of 4790 meters, with width adjusted to accommodate reality.

Project Significance
The Al-Amoud-Sarmada Road holds pivotal importance, serving crucial institutions such as the Primary Care Center, Al-Iman Women's Hospital, the Psychiatric Hospital, and Muhammad Razzouk Elementary School. This significance is further underscored by the challenging economic conditions prevailing in northwestern Syria. The road's rehabilitation will alleviate financial burdens for residents and facilitate their access to essential services. Responding to the pressing requests from the community, The White Helmets has undertaken the responsibility for its execution.

This endeavor marks the third road rehabilitation initiative in northwestern Syria that The White Helmets has engaged in. It follows the successful completion of the rehabilitation of a 3150-meter road connecting Sarmada city to Kafr Daryan in the northern Idlib countryside. This accomplishment was achieved in collaboration with the Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation. Additionally, two other roads have been revitalized through a joint effort by the Syrian Forum, The White Helmets, and the Syrian American Medical Society. These include the rehabilitation and asphalting of the 1650-meter-long third bridge road in Afrin city, as well as the 9500-meter-long Afrin-Kafrajneh road.