Central Jordan Valley — The road stretching from the Jofeh Triangle, through the Kafrein area, to the main Dead Sea Beach intersection is one of the most important and sensitive road corridors in South Shouneh and the Central Jordan Valley District. It serves as a vital link between northern areas, the Dead Sea and tourist routes.
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Despite its strategic importance, the road has become a source of concern for residents, tourists and motorists alike, as its current condition and capacity fail to meet the demands of rapid urban and traffic growth.
An economic and tourism lifeline operating beyond capacity
Several residents say the road is vital to the tourism sector, serving as one of the main routes to hotels, resorts and beaches along the Dead Sea, as well as religious and historical sites such as the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas). They explain that the growing volume of traffic has become a source of concern, particularly during the winter and spring, when tourist numbers increase. The road also passes through several residential communities and market areas.
Nayel Al-Adwan says the road connects numerous neighbourhoods and residential communities, making it an essential route for local residents. He notes that it was built in the 1950s and still consists of a single carriageway carrying traffic in both directions.
He stresses that rehabilitating and widening the road has become an urgent necessity and a national priority to protect the lives of citizens and visitors, support economic, tourism and agricultural development in the Jordan Valley, and strengthen the country’s tourism sector more broadly.
Al-Adwan points out that the road’s infrastructure is deteriorating day by day due to heavy traffic and the growth of trees along its sides, which narrow the roadway. The lack of sidewalks further increases the risk of traffic accidents.
He also notes that large sections of the road lack safe shoulders where vehicles can pull over in an emergency, while lighting is inadequate along some critical stretches at night.
Former Central Shouneh Municipality Mayor Ibrahim Al-Adwan says the road is in urgent need of widening and rehabilitation. He explains that dense trees along its sides obstruct visibility in some locations, creating traffic hazards, particularly for drivers unfamiliar with the area.
He adds that the road carries a mix of traffic, including heavy transport trucks, slow-moving agricultural machinery and tourist vehicles, resulting in congestion and dangerous overtaking. He says this situation has contributed to numerous traffic accidents in recent years, including pedestrian collisions, crashes and trucks and cars overturning.
Al-Adwan stresses the importance of redesigning the road to provide two lanes in each direction, separated by a central median to reduce the risk of head-on collisions. He also calls for improved traffic safety measures at the Jofeh Triangle and Kafrein intersection to reduce confusion and facilitate traffic entering and leaving the road.
He further emphasises the need for additional directional and warning signs, reflective road markings, speed bumps near populated areas, upgraded road shoulders and better lighting to reduce recurring accidents.
Resident Hussein Al-Shatti says: “The road can no longer wait; we live in daily fear for our children and motorists because it is extremely narrow and cannot accommodate the increasing traffic. Widening and rehabilitating it has become a human necessity before it is a public service.”
He says residents who rely on buses and taxis face significant difficulties, as drivers sometimes refuse to stop at certain points because there is insufficient space along the roadside. This forces passengers to walk long distances along dangerous stretches of the road.
He adds that any road development plan should include the reorganisation of public transport stops to ensure access for people who depend entirely on public transport.
Farmers say their daily movements depend on the road, although travelling along it has become increasingly difficult and costly. They explain that trucks and agricultural machinery frequently cause severe congestion, and that widening the road would reduce risks for its users. Many school students also walk along its sides every day to reach their schools.
Mousa Saleh says the road has become unbearable, particularly during weekends, when the number of visitors and tourists travelling to the Dead Sea increases. He points out that the lack of road shoulders and poor lighting at night pose major challenges for bus and car drivers.
“Beyond the figures and statements, there is a human and psychological cost that officials do not see. We live in constant anxiety whenever our children leave home to go anywhere or run an errand. The road has become a daily source of fear, with families living under the weight of worrying that they could lose a relative or a child, as has happened in accidents in the area that claimed the lives of women and children,” he says.
He notes that these conditions make widening the road essential to restoring a sense of security among the local community, in addition to being a key infrastructure development project.
MP Khalifa Al-Diyyat says the area has seen a significant increase in the number of vehicles, placing pressure on the road and causing congestion that its current width cannot accommodate. He stresses the need to improve road safety and reduce accidents by upgrading safety measures, separating lanes, rehabilitating intersections and installing directional signs to protect the lives of citizens and visitors.
“Our follow-up on these issues stems from our parliamentary and national responsibility to convey citizens’ needs to the executive authorities and work continuously to turn observations from the field into practical measures and tangible projects that meet your aspirations and directly improve your daily lives, whether in healthcare, roads, traffic safety or infrastructure,” he says.
He explains that developing infrastructure is a fundamental right of citizens because it helps facilitate access to healthcare, education and economic activities. He also welcomed the Ministry of Public Works and Housing’s response in beginning to study the observations and needs and proceeding with the necessary steps to implement appropriate solutions, in line with available priorities and resources.
Public Works Ministry: Proposed widening to be carried out in stages
Omar Al-Maharmeh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, says an inspection was carried out on a section of the Jordan Valley–Kafrein road, approximately 4.8 kilometres long, to assess its condition and identify obstacles preventing its widening.
He explains that this section is an important link between the Marj Al-Hamam–Dead Sea road and the Jordan Valley road, which extends north through Kafrein and Shouneh towards the northern governorates.
He adds that the Minister of Public Works inspected the road as part of field visits to assess road conditions and needs. The ministry has also contacted the relevant water and electricity service providers to take the necessary steps to remove existing utility conflicts, paving the way for widening works to begin in gradual stages.
Al-Maharmeh says the proposed widening would increase the road’s width by approximately two to two-and-a-half metres in each direction, alongside strengthening traffic safety measures and improving the existing route. These measures are intended to increase the road’s capacity, improve traffic flow and enhance safety for its users.
By Habis Al-Adwan
