Conflict Incident Report

Residents from Metn's Jal al-Dib and surrounding areas held a sit in against the long-delayed Jal al-Dib bridge project, calling on authorities to consult with residents before the vital bridge is built.

"Yesterday we received the maps and discovered that the value of the contracts went up even though the contractor is still the same,” Jal al-Dib Deputy Mayor Fadi Farid Abou Jaoudeh was quoted as saying by the state-run National News Agency.

"The people of the region are not hostile and are proud of the project presented by the President of the Republic to the people of the region. but they want it corrected, because the bridge, if it is built, cannot be repaired," Abou Jaoudeh said.

The Jal al-Dib bridge was demolished in 2012 over fears it would collapse.

But a new bridge is yet to be built, and the project is mired in controversy. Residents are opposed to a plan approved by Cabinet in May 2014, which they say will worsen traffic and negatively impact over 100 shops in the area.

Meanwhile, increased traffic in the area has impacted residents' daily commutes. Residents told The Daily Star that a journey to Beirut should be around 30 minutes, but now regularly takes three times as long.