Zahlé is connected to
Beirut (55 km (34 mi) West), and from there to all coastal cities,
through the Beirut-Damascus road, which passes to the Southwest of the urban
area. The journey can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on
the traffic. Damascus is 73 km (45 mi) to the Southeast, and is
normally reached within 1:30 hour, excluding the waiting time at the border.
Despite being one of Lebanon's major arteries, the Beirut-Damascus road lacks
signaling and dividers on most of its length,