The Ministry of Public Works and Housing announced that in the coming days, it will begin implementing the toll-based alternative roads project on the Al-Harraneh–Al-Omari highway, which has been fully reconstructed and rehabilitated with direct funding from the ministry’s budget. The project represents the first pilot model for the concept of alternative toll roads in Jordan.
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According to Waseem Al-Adwan, Director of the Roads Department at the ministry, this initiative is part of a broader plan to upgrade and modernize the national road network, ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving service quality for road users.
He explained that the road underwent comprehensive rehabilitation, including the removal of old asphalt layers and the application of a new mix meeting top international standards. Safety elements were enhanced throughout the route, and the concrete bridge in the Al-Muwaqqar industrial zone was maintained and equipped with solar-powered lighting, in line with environmental sustainability standards.
The Al-Harraneh–Al-Omari road serves as a practical example of implementing toll-based alternative routes. It was chosen after extensive infrastructure upgrades to both the toll route and its free alternative, the Azraq–Zarqa–Al-Omari road, which was also fully rehabilitated and expanded to four lanes divided by a median and fitted with lighting—making it ready to accommodate high traffic volumes efficiently and free of charge.
In a statement issued Saturday, the ministry confirmed that the project will be managed entirely by ministry staff, with trained local youth from nearby areas employed as part of efforts to support local development and job creation.
The ministry stressed that the introduction of toll-based alternative roads does not mean imposing fees on existing public roads, which will remain completely free. The goal, it said, is to offer drivers more options, with every toll road having a fully functional free alternative.
The Al-Harraneh–Al-Omari project marks the first step in applying this model, with technical and financial studies already underway for similar future projects. The concept aims to attract investment into the transport and infrastructure sectors.
The initiative also aligns with the government’s smart and sustainable road management strategy, allowing drivers to choose routes based on time and cost efficiency, while reducing congestion, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions.
The ministry concluded by reaffirming that no currently open or existing roads will be converted into toll routes. Future toll projects will focus exclusively on newly constructed roads or major ring-road expansions, such as the Amman Development Road and Irbid Ring Road, in line with the national strategy to strengthen transportation infrastructure and support Jordan’s economic and logistical development goals.
