The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs announced on Tuesday evening, Aug 4, that the Arida border crossing with Lebanon would be closed completelyز

Syrian state media quoted Mazen Alloush, the authority’s director of public relations, as saying, “The Arida border crossing with Lebanon will be closed to passenger traffic starting Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, for 15 days.”

Alloush attributed the closure to the start of technical work on “the final span of the crossing’s bridge from the Lebanese side.”

He urged travelers not to head to the Arida crossing during the closure and to use alternative border crossings until the required work is completed and an alternative route is prepared, allowing partial crossings to resume safely and smoothly.

Lebanon’s National News Agency only relayed the report published by the Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, about the closure of the Arida crossing, without providing details on whether the crossing would also be closed from the Lebanese side.

45,000 Travelers Crossed Arida Since Start of Year

Around 45,000 travelers have crossed through the Arida border crossing with Lebanon since the beginning of this year, including nearly 6,000 Syrian citizens who voluntarily returned to Syria, despite the crossing continuing to operate partially while maintenance and rehabilitation work was underway.

The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs said on its Facebook page on Aug. 3 that staff at the crossing continued to receive travelers and process their transactions within the available operating capacity. It said organized procedures were being followed to facilitate crossings and accelerate transactions while construction work continued at the site.

As part of the project to rehabilitate the bridge at the Arida crossing, crews completed the first concrete pouring stage for the bridge’s central pier. Technical teams were preparing to begin work on the final span from the Lebanese side in the coming days, ahead of preparing it and installing the main girders.

Because of the requirements of this stage, the crossing was scheduled to close completely and temporarily to passenger traffic at the end of the week for a period that could exceed two weeks. The closure would remain in place until the necessary work was completed and an alternative route was prepared, allowing partial crossings to resume safely and smoothly.

The authority said the work was part of its plan to develop infrastructure at the Arida crossing and improve its operational readiness, contributing to better services for travelers and smoother transport and border traffic between Syria and Lebanon.

Crossing Open to Returning Pedestrians Since March

The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs reopened the Arida border crossing with Lebanon on March 8 for pedestrians only, allowing one-way travel from Lebanon to Syria, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Tartous governorate, western Syria, at the time.

The reopening followed a suspension caused by maintenance work on the bridge connecting the village of Arida in Akkar governorate, northern Lebanon, with Tartous governorate. The bridge had been damaged by a rainstorm that struck the area.

The authority said the crossing was reopened in response to requests from Syrians living in Lebanon who wanted to return to Syria, and as part of efforts to ease their hardship and facilitate their return procedures.

Travelers were not permitted to transport household furniture because the bridge leading to the crossing still required maintenance and rehabilitation before it could be fully reopened to vehicles, according to the authority.

The authority said its staff would be fully prepared to provide returning travelers with the necessary assistance and organize entry procedures to ensure transactions were completed quickly and that citizens remained safe.

Six Border Crossings Between Syria and Lebanon

On Jan. 1, heavy rainfall in the area of the Arida border crossing between Lebanon and Syria raised the water level of the Southern Nahr al-Kabir River, causing localized flooding that disrupted traffic at several points.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Tartous reported at the time that the river’s flooding along the Syrian-Lebanese border affected infrastructure near the riverbed. Infrastructure supporting the bridge also suffered a landslide on the Lebanese side, causing extensive damage that prompted service agencies and technical crews to respond to address the effects and protect residents and property.

Lebanon and Syria are connected by six official border crossings, three in northern Lebanon and three in the country’s east.

The northern crossings are Arida, al-Abboudieh and al-Boqayaa-Talkalakh. The eastern crossings are al-Masnaa, al-Qaa-Jousieh, and Matraba.

In addition to the official crossings, unauthorized routes connect Lebanon and Syria. The border between the two countries extends for around 375 kilometers, including rugged and overlapping terrain with numerous valleys and mountains.