Skip to main content

Brazil’s budget cuts threaten the Santos-Guaruja immersed tunnel

August 18, 2015
Adjustments to Brazil's budget could pose a threat to the planned immersed tunnel between Santos and Guaruja in Sao Paulo state, local media reported.

Sao Paulo state had put the project out to tender and had verbal support from the national treasury to borrow up to US$2 billion to finance the project. However, because of the economic crisis, this support has not materialised.

The tunnel would by 1.7km long, carry six lanes of traffic and be at an estimated depth of 35m.

Out of $918 million needed for the tunnel, Brazil's national development bank BNDES had already approved $269 million while the state of Sao Paulo had committed $258 million, leaving a $373 million gap. Sao Paulo state has half the resources needed already but it will not go ahead with the project until all the funds are available, local media reported.

Out of five consortia that presented a commercial proposal, four are prequalified: ISG Interligacao Santos-Guaruja, made of 1339 Andrade Gutierrez, 3086 Daewoo and CR Almeida; Nova Travessia, made of Constran, Ing E Mantovani and Piacentini Tecenge do Brasil; Tunel Santos-Guaruja, made of 1305 Odebrecht, Queiroz Galvao, 1511 OAS and Strukton; Sigma, made of J Malucelli Construtora de Obras, Grandi Lavori and 7809 Salini Impregilo; and Construtor Tunel Santos-Guaruja, made of Camargo Correa, 2717 Ferrovial Agroman and Carioca Engenharia.

Sao Paulo’s state highway agency 2529 Dersa has produced a video of the proposed submerged tunnel.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Investment for Brazil’s Sao Paulo ring road
    June 8, 2012
    A new loan has been approved that will help finance works on the northern stretch of the Sao Paulo ring road in Brazil. The US$1.15 billion loan is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Approval for the IADB loan has come from Brazil’s Committee for Economic Affairs (CAE) at Brazil's Senate. The loan will finance construction of the Rodoanel Norte stretch of the ring road. This measures some 44km long and will connect with the west and east sections of the ring road as well as linkin
  • VIDEO: Nexus picks up Toowoomba bypass project in Queensland, Australia
    August 21, 2015
    Nexus Infrastructure group has signed a contract with the Australian government to deliver the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project in Queensland state, costing nearly US$1.2 billion.

    Nexus will design construct, finance, operate and maintain the 41km route that will bypass the city of Toowoomba, east to west.

    Toowomba and district, with a population of around 158,000, is inland 125km west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane, on Australia’s northeast coast.
  • Polish island tunnel connection planned
    February 7, 2017
    The tender process is due to commence in Poland for a major new tunnel project in the north of the country. The link will provide an improved road connection for the city of Swinoujscie, running between the islands of Uznam and Wolin. When complete in late 2021 or early 2022, this will be the longest road tunnel ever constructed in Poland. A number of consortia and companies have been preselected by the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) to tender for the project. The plans
  • Brazil road payment delays affecting projects
    May 15, 2019
    Brazil’s Sao Paulo state is seeing some road projects being delayed due to a shortage of funds.