Santos–Guarujá tunnel could be finished a year early after design change

The completion of the Santos–Guarujá immersed tunnel, initially scheduled for 2031, could be brought forward by up to one year. The possibility arises from a technical adjustment under evaluation, which would reduce the number of concrete tunnel elements (each 145 meters long) from six to four, while widening the entry and exit points on both sides. The final decision will rest with the concessionaire.

“There would be fewer elements to immerse during construction, which brings several benefits. The project would progress faster, and the navigation channel would be closed for a shorter period,” explained Rafael Benini, São Paulo’s Secretary for Partnerships and Investments, in an interview with A Tribuna.

He added that, to speed up the process even more, the dry dock — the shipyard-like facility where the concrete elements will be built — could be installed at Prainha, in Guarujá, one of the six areas designated in the contract. “The most advantageous location for building the dry dock is Prainha, because it’s already aligned with the tunnel. In that case, we might not even need a tugboat to move the elements into place. It could work like a cable system, which would greatly accelerate the construction,” Benini noted.

The secretary said it is necessary to wait for all planning and project adjustments scheduled for 2026 before construction begins in 2027, but he remains optimistic about the timeline. “We’ll stick with the conservative forecast of 2031. But if we manage to build four elements instead of six and install them via cable instead of using tugs, we could be talking about early 2030.”

Linhão
The area known as Linhão, in Vicente de Carvalho, will serve as a construction site for the Guarujá-side tunnel entrance and for road realignment. The site lies between Prainha and Praça 14 Bis. “To use Linhão, we’ll need to remove the towers, excavate, and run the cables underground. It’s quite a complex operation,” Benini said.

Project progress
The official declaration of Mota-Engil Latam Portugal S.A. as the auction winner was published in the Diário Oficial last Thursday, following the close of the appeals period. According to Benini, the contract will be formally ratified this week, and the company has up to 60 days to submit the required documentation before signing, expected by the end of December.

Next year, the company will work on updating the executive base project, originally prepared by Dersa. “The private operator will need to revise several parts of the plan, as the road network has changed a lot over the past ten years. In 2026, our goal is to have the best possible design, minimizing environmental and social impacts,” he said.

Regarding the property expropriations in the Macuco district of Santos, Benini stated that they should not affect the schedule. “We have spoken extensively with local residents, agreed on compensation values, and the governor met with them personally. No one will be left unattended,” he assured.

The state has set aside over R$ 500 million in the contract for compensation, “though that’s not a cap,” Benini emphasized.

To ensure transparency and public engagement, Benini announced the launch of an official project website, going live this Sunday (19), with detailed updates on construction progress.

The total investment in the fixed Santos–Guarujá connection amounts to R$ 6.8 billion, including R$ 5.1 billion in public funding shared between the São Paulo state government and the federal government. The tunnel will span 1.5 kilometers, with 870 meters running beneath the port channel. The design includes three lanes in each direction, as well as pedestrian and cycling paths and a technical service gallery.

Source: A Tribuna 

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