Stop the Fouad Boutros Highway Coalition

The Fouad Boutros highway was a project planned by the Municipality of Beirut, connecting Achrafieh with Karantina districts. The project was being promoted as the solution for road congestion in the heavily populated Achrafieh. However, the implementation of the plan would have increased traffic and pollution, destroyed heritage buildings, and negatively impacted the social fabric of this area, thus creating problems rather than solving them. NAHNOO joined the coalition “Stop the Fouad Boutros Highway” in 2014 that proposed the creation of the Fouad Boutros Green Path instead of the highway in this overly urbanized area. The coalition succeeded in stopping the project following a popular advocacy campaign and convincing the municipality to implement the green path plan. As of 2021, this project is yet to be executed.

Campaign Objectives

  • Stopping the construction of the highway through Achrafieh
  • Raising awareness on the impact of building large roads instead of investing in public transportation and green areas
  • Convincing the Municipality of Beirut to endorse the Fouad Boutros path as an alternative to Fouad Boutros highway
We advocate for the promotion of public spaces, accessible to all, which provide a place for those sharing Lebanon’s cities to come together regardless of their personal and social backgrounds. We believe that providing equal access to neutral public spaces fosters unity and encourages positive dialogue between different communities within Lebanese society.

Campaign Highlights

May 2013
Campaign launched by the coalition

June 2013
Green path alternative published

Feb 2014
Petition against the Fouad Boutros highway project launched (over 3,000 signatures)

Mar 2014
Double protests organized in the impacted areas

July 2014
“Beirut to Nowhere” movie released, exploring the area affected by the Fouad Boutros highway project

Aug 2014
Press conference & public discussion held at the Tobagi’s garden (Mar Mikhael, Beirut) on the municipal project and the alternative proposed by the coalition