M30 motorway (Arab Union)

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The M30 motorway (Arabic: مسرع 30) is a motorway in the Arab Union, linking Beirut with Nasser City via Bar Elias, Majdal Shams, Quneitra and Jamousieh. It is carried by a minimum of three lanes in each direction for the entirety of its course, widening to four lanes outside metropolitan Nasser City and Beirut. The M30 technically ends its course at Jamousieh (10 km northeast of Nasser City), where it joins the M3, which carries both routes the rest of the way to the capital.

Route[edit | edit source]

The M30 roughly follows A7 road, which it was developed to relieve of heavy interregional traffic using the important trunk route; the only significant deviation is between Majdal Shams and Nuqeib, 20 km at the widest point, where the M30 takes the most direct route while the A7 traces the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and east bank of the Jordan River. The A7 also provides the most immediate access to smaller communities bypassed by the M30, with all M30 exits directly connected to the A7, either by local roads or special arteries.

Northbound, the M30 meets the M9 (Damascus–Beirut) motorway (diverging southbound) at Majdal Anjar, 3 km southeast of Bar Elias, whence the pair of motorways continues side-by-side–a double interchange at Majdal Anjar, and another at Bar Elias, facilitate transfers between the pair, after which all exits serve only the M9, with the M30 functioning as an express route–reaching Greater Beirut at Hazmieh where, by way of a final double interchange, the M30 and M9 become Emile Lahoud Road and Elias el-Hrawi Road, respectively.