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

  • Bids for Višňové Tunnel's IT being evaluated
    March 31, 2023
    The contract, in Slovakia, also includes IT equipment for the D1 motorway stretch Lietavska Lucka - Visnove - Dubna Skala of which the tunnel is a part.
  • Work planned for two major Indian highway projects
    September 30, 2015
    Two large highway projects in India are now moving forward following the award of contracts by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The NHAI awarded a contract worth US$269.62 million to Hindustan Construction Co (HCC) for the construction of a highway in the local state of Jammu and Kashmir. The project is part of the second stage of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) initiative by the NHAI for the NH 1A highway, and covers 36km including 3km of tunnels between Banihal and Ramban.
  • Brazil’s road safety problem
    September 25, 2019
    Brazil’s road safety problem is improving gradually. Data provided by the national transport confederation, CNT, reveals that there were 69,206 crashes on Brazil’s federal roads during 2018. Of these, 53,963 crashes involved serious injury or death. There were 5,269 road deaths in Brazil during 2018, the lowest since 2007, when CNT began compiling the country’s road crash data. According to CNT, there has been a steady decline in road deaths and serious injuries on Brazil’s roads since 2012.
  • Korean contractor conquers in Qatar construction contract
    May 21, 2014
    In Qatar the public works authority, Ashghal, has awarded a highway construction deal worth US$910 million to South Korean firm Daewoo Engineering and Construction (Daewoo E&C). The deal is for a 42km section of road, which forms part of the New Orbital Highway and Truck Route project. The 42km stretch would connect the Dukhan Highway and the Al Khor Link Road, and will feature five interchanges and a number of bridges. The 14 lane road will also feature wastewater treatment systems and smart road traffic c