Port of Santos deals with need for new access as truck congestion becomes more frequent

Truck congestion heading towards the Port of Santos is not a new issue, but it has intensified in the second half of this year due to a record-breaking grain harvest, sparking a protest from independent truckers. The situation reached its peak last Wednesday at the Alemoa Viaduct, causing a 12-hour standstill. This persistent problem highlights the need for a new access route to the Right Bank of the port in the city. A project for this new route is in place, and there is a consensus across various levels of the government regarding this topic.

The urgency of the matter led to a meeting at the headquarters of the Sao Paulo State Government, on Friday (September 1st), with Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. The meeting aimed to discuss short, medium, and long-term solutions to the logistical bottleneck that surrounds the arrival of trucks at the largest port in Latin America, the Port of Santos.

“We, who work in Alemoa and on the Right Bank of the Port of Santos, have been aware of this demand for many years. The volume has increased (per ton, per quantity of commercial vehicles, and per TEU), and it seems obvious that larger and better accesses are needed. This is all for logistical fluidity, organization, and safety,” says João Maria Menano, President of the Association of Companies in the Industrial and Port District of Alemoa (AMA).

He stressed that this moment should be used to develop logistics solutions simultaneously with cargo. This is especially true because the recent Census from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) indicated a decrease in the population residing in Santos, with a “pure focus on road access and an increase in business areas.”

“If we look at the set of actions from the last few decades, we see that the second lane for cars on the Imigrantes Highway was built, as were the perimeters of Santos and Guarujá, the Rodoanel, new berths, and new, modern terminals. Yet, we continue with only the Anchieta for trucks and the same Alemoa Viaduct for access to the Right Bank of the Port, which still represents over 50% of Santos’ movement. We’re truly like a funnel,” he details.

The Project

The second entry to the Port of Santos on the Right Bank, with the implementation of viaducts and a road-rail crossing in the Alemoa and Saboó region, is part of the contract signed by the Port Authority of Santos (APS) with the Internal Railway of the Port of Santos (Fips), administered by VLI, MRS, and Rumo.

This commitment is an integral part of the minimum and mandatory investment requirements to expand cargo handling capacity at the Santos port complex. However, the consortium approached the State Government to request an exchange.

“In the contract, the price was R$200 million, but it has reached R$400 million today. We were approached by Fips to make an exchange and include this project in the Ecovias contract. In return, Fips would spend R$200 million on housing in Baixada Santista, especially in Santos and Guarujá. But any agreement depends on the Port Authority,” revealed Rafael Benini, State Secretary for Investment Partnerships.

“It’s something very necessary. It’s not an easy project. The sooner a decision is made, the sooner the project can begin. Ecovias is interested in doing it,” Benini added. When contacted by the news, APS responded in a statement, stating that it is addressing the issue directly with Fips management, as the decision on the matter falls within the competence of the management of the Port of Santos. “APS will release the results as soon as a decision is reached,” it says.

Negotiations

In a written statement, Fips confirmed the information released by the State Government, assessing that these negotiations could benefit Baixada Santista. The consortium is awaiting what it considers “the best agreement.”

“The construction of the viaduct by another player will allow the investments previously planned by Fips for the project to be directed towards other important social actions in the region. Fips believes that the State Government and the Port Authority will reach the best agreement and await the final decision by APS.”

Timeframe

The scheduled timeframe for the construction of the second entry to the Port of Santos on the Right Bank, according to the contract with the management of the Internal Railway of the Port of Santos (Fips), is five years. However, Mayor Rogério Santos doesn’t want to wait that long.

“There has been a federal pact since 2013 with projects at different levels: municipal, state, and federal. The federal one has not been executed so far and has been transferred to Fips. What we ask is for it to be executed before the deadline, signed at the end of last year. It is important that they begin to understand its significance for the port, for trucks, and for the railway because it removes the truck-train intersection in the Valongo region, entering directly on Augusto Barata Avenue (Retão da Alemoa), serving the terminals that extend to Ponta da Praia,” says Mayor Santos.

Interventions

At the municipal level, Rogério recalls that everything in this regard has been fulfilled, with the delivery of the New Entrance to Santos and the drainage system. At the state level, there is little left of the interventions carried out by Ecovias, the company that manages the Anchieta-Imigrantes Road System (SAI) and supervised and managed by the São Paulo State Transportation Agency (Artesp). This is known as the Santos Binary.

The first phase of the project was completed in 2020, and three viaducts (at km 62, km 64+560, and km 65) were delivered. They improved vehicle traffic flow and mobility for trucks leaving the Port of Santos towards the capital.

In the second phase of the project, with an expected delivery date between the 15th and 19th of the present month, work is being carried out between km 59 and km 65 of Via Anchieta, including the construction of a new viaduct at km 63. This will allow vehicles coming from the Northwest zone of Santos and heading to São Paulo to access Via Anchieta via SP-148, Avenida Bandeirantes.

Furthermore, to meet the increased demand for vehicles using this section, SP-148 will be fully restored, and the bridge over the Rio Casqueiro will have its traffic capacity increased with the addition of two additional lanes. The project has an investment of R$346.2 million.

The other project is Rabo do Dragão, also on the Anchieta – a ramp providing access to Jardim Casqueiro in Cubatão. The investment is R$72.6 million.

Source: A Tribuna

To read the original article, visit: https://www.atribuna.com.br/noticias/portomar/congestionamentos-de-caminhoes-escancaram-necessidade-de-novo-acesso-ao-porto-de-santos

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