São Paulo approves Public-Private Partnership for tunnel linking Santos and Guarujá

São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas signed into law on Wednesday (23) the project for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to build the immersed tunnel connecting Santos to Guarujá in the Santos region.

The 30-year PPP involves the construction of a 1.5 km structure, with approximately 870 meters of the tunnel submerged underwater.

The project, which was approved by the São Paulo State Legislative Assembly (Alesp) on October 8, also covers the tunnel’s operation and maintenance.

Integrated into the federal Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), a flagship initiative of the Lula government, and the São Paulo State Investment Partnerships Program (PPI-SP), the project is expected to cost R$ 5.96 billion. The funding will be split between the federal and São Paulo governments, along with private sector contributions. Public funding will cover 86% of the costs, evenly divided between the state and federal governments.

The construction is projected to create around 9,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The Lula and Tarcísio administrations signed a cooperation agreement to make the tunnel a reality in February. During a ceremony in Santos, which also marked the city’s anniversary, both leaders stood side by side to celebrate the initiative.

Prior to this, the Santos Port Authority had floated the idea of building the tunnel independently of the São Paulo state government, which caused some friction with state officials.

“This tunnel is essential, and it’s too costly for either São Paulo or the federal government to handle alone. São Paulo already had the project and environmental licenses approved. We couldn’t have the federal government go ahead while São Paulo was sidelined,” President Lula remarked at the time.

In March, Governor Tarcísio indicated that bidding for the project was expected to take place in 2024, with construction slated to begin in early 2025.

The current timeline, however, projects that the tender for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel will be issued in the second quarter of 2025, with the auction set for the second half of the year.

The tunnel will be the first of its kind in Latin America, at a depth of 21 meters. Currently, the crossing between Santos and Guarujá is done by ferries or a 40-kilometer road detour.

Authorities stress that the tunnel will not impede the development or expansion of the Port of Santos.

Currently, over 21,000 vehicles cross the two banks daily using small boats (known as catraias) and ferries. Additionally, around 7,700 cyclists and 7,600 pedestrians make the crossing daily.

Construction Details

The tunnel’s construction will involve several steps, such as digging trenches and placing concrete slabs. Concrete sections will be built in dry docks, which will have temporary internal pools, and these sections will then be transported once they are ready.

The project will use six pre-fabricated concrete modules built in a dry dock.

In a statement, Governor Tarcísio emphasized the project’s potential to boost the regional economy and transform the lives of local residents.

“We are addressing a long-standing request, not only from the residents of Santos but from everyone who visits our coastline,” Tarcísio noted.

The project is still subject to adjustments. The PPP documentation does not mandate a specific route, only the necessary connections. The latest public hearing on the project was held on October 10 in Guarujá.

“We have traffic models to analyze urban impacts, and based on origin and destination studies, we will simulate the tunnel’s effect on demand,” said Raquel França Carneiro, director of the São Paulo Partnerships Company (CPP), during the hearing.

Next Monday (28), the government is set to present a new proposed route to the residents of Macuco, Santos, aiming to minimize expropriations and enhance the financial viability of the tunnel.

The updated documentation is expected to be submitted to Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) by December.

Source: Valor Econômico

Click here to access the original reporting: https://valor.globo.com/politica/noticia/2024/10/23/tarcisio-sanciona-projeto-de-ppp-para-construir-tunel-que-ligara-santos-ao-guaruja.ghtml

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