Santos-Guarujá bridge project awaits environmental license to begin works

The project to build the bridge that will link both banks at the Port of Santos, connecting Santos to Guarujá, is waiting to be granted an environmental license so that it can get underway.

According to estimates by Ecovias, the company that manages the Anchieta-Imigrantes System (SAI), and the Logistics and Transport State Secretariat of São Paulo, the approval should be granted by the end of 2019.

The announcement of the project to build the bridge was made almost a year ago and Ecovias will be responsible for both, in exchange for the contract extension it holds with the State for managing SAI.

The concessionaire submitted the detailed studies on the work in December 2018 to the São Paulo State Transport Regulatory Agency (Artesp), which is analyzing the proposal and will give guidelines for the next steps.

According to Cetesb, the application for a Preliminary Environmental License is being analyzed. “Cetesb is waiting on information complementary to the licensing process, with no established deadline in place,” said the organ’s spokesperson.

About the bridge

According to the current project, the bridge will be about 7.5 km long, starting at the entrance to Santos at the 64^th km of the Anchieta highway, and ending near the access to Barnabé Island, in the Continental Area of ​​Santos, about 500 meters from the Guarujá toll, at the 250^th km of the Cônego Domênico Rangoni Highway.

The estimated cost of the work is R$2.9bn, with the bridge being 85m high and having 325m between pillars, a requirement stipulated by the State Government to allow activities at the Metropolitan Airport of Baixada Santista to not be hampered (in the District of Vicente de Carvalho, Guarujá) and to not impact port operations.

This is the third attempt being made by the São Paulo government to directly access the islands of Santo Amaro (Guarujá) and São Vicente (Santos). Other projects previously presented were a submerged tunnel under the estuary and a bridge in the ferry boat region.

According to the State Government, the current model presents the best cost-benefit scenario as it will be quicker to implement and have a lower environmental impact.

Source: A Tribuna

Sharing is caring!