Jordan Border Road Rehabilitation project groundbreaking ceremony held 

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the Jordan Border Road Rehabilitation project was conducted April 8, 2019, by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF).  

This project will help increase security and stability in Jordan by the construction and rehabilitation of a road that runs along Jordan’s northern border with Syria. This road will allow JAF to better respond to threats in this region. 

This project is part of Canada’s efforts to assist Jordan in dealing with the impact of conflict in the region and help promote peace and stability in the Middle East. 

In March, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, as well as the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Operation IMPACT will be extended until the end of March 2021. 

Operation IMPACT is the CAF support to the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

The CAF will be deploying a Canadian Training and Assistance Team to Jordan (CTAT-J) to facilitate co-operation, and link skills-based training and mentoring with the acquisition of equipment and infrastructure development.

“This important road rehabilitation project is a tangible example of the close relationship between the Jordanian and Canadian Armed Forces. It will help Jordanian Armed Forces to deter, monitor, and interdict incursions along the northern border in order to reduce terrorist and violent extremist activity and keep the people of Jordan safe,” said Lieutenant-General Mike Rouleau, Commander, Canadian Joint Operations Command.

The part of the road that the CAF will assist with is 63 km in length and should take approximately two years to complete. This project is part of Canada’s Middle East strategy, which includes $60 million to be spent building partner capacity efforts in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. 

This project is being implemented as part of Operation IMPACT.

“Canada has a strong and collaborative relationship with Jordan, built on mutual defence and security priorities. We are pleased to support this project as part of an integrated approach that contributes to security and stability in the region,” said the Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan.