By Brazil Stock Guide – São Paulo state will open on Monday the first stretch of the Rodoanel Mário Covas – North Section, ending a stoppage of more than six years in one of Brazil’s most sensitive road projects. The opening of 24 kilometers between the Presidente Dutra and Fernão Dias highways—two major routes feeding the metropolis—will create a strategic freight corridor and remove heavy trucks from urban traffic in the country’s largest city.
Works resumed in April 2024 and include three lanes in each direction, four tunnels, plus bridges and viaducts. Officials estimate 40,000 vehicles a day, with more than half trucks and tractor-trailers. The stretch will feature camera monitoring, 4G coverage and operational bases for roadside assistance and highway police, expanding control and road safety.
Restart after contract collapse
Construction of the North Section began in 2013 but was halted in 2018 after financial troubles and disputes involving the Cantareira consortium, formed by OAS, Mendes Júnior and Serveng-Civilsan. The project was restructured and awarded to Via Appia Infraestrutura, a company created in 2023 by an investment fund set up by asset manager Starboard.
São Paulo’s government says the project will reduce congestion, improve logistics flow and cut environmental impacts tied to heavy traffic on the city’s riverfront expressways. Total investment in the North Section is about R$ 3.4 billion (roughly US$ 680 million), including R$ 1.35 billion (US$ 270 million) from the state and around R$ 2 billion (US$ 400 million) from the concessionaire.
The North Rodoanel will use a free-flow electronic tolling system from December 2025, replacing traditional booths with electronic gantries under São Paulo’s Siga Fácil Sem Parar program. Vehicles will not need to stop, paying only for the distance traveled, a model the state says improves traffic flow, safety and fuel efficiency. Tolls will be charged automatically via license-plate recognition or electronic tags, with a 5% discount for tag users. Drivers will have up to 30 days to pay, while non-payment will be treated as toll evasion, subject to fines and penalty points.
Full completion of the North Section—the last missing link of the metropolitan beltway—is scheduled for 2026. The Rodoanel dates back to 1998, when construction of the West Section began under then-governor Mário Covas, and advanced in fits and starts for more than two decades. The North Section became a symbol of chronic delays in Brazilian infrastructure.
For Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, the restart and partial delivery carry weight beyond logistics. Finishing a long-stalled project strengthens an execution-focused narrative in Brazil’s economic hub and could become a meaningful asset for a re-election bid in São Paulo—and for broader national ambitions.
Leave a Reply