Dredging of the Lagoa Mirim Waterway will be made possible with federal funds

An old demand from the logistics sector in Rio Grande do Sul and Uruguay, the construction of the Lagoa Mirim Waterway advances with negotiations between the two countries. The news is that, according to a statement signed this Tuesday between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira and, of Uruguay, Francisco Bustillo, the dredging of the project will be financed with money from the Union.

The document confirms the launching of the tender for the basic and executive project, accompanied by the environmental study, of the Brazil-Uruguay waterway. In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (Mpor) will launch a tender for the work and the idea is that it will start later this year. Details such as values ​​and source of funds for financing the work will be disclosed after the studies are carried out.

The Mercosur waterway, as it is also called, has been discussed for 60 years, when a Commission was created to deal with the matter. In 2021, still in the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro, the concession of the waterway was authorized, making the project a pioneer in the country by suggesting a toll. The initiative was seen as a priority in the federal Investment Partnerships Program (PPI).

In a note to the report, the Ministry of Ports and Airports said that, together with the National Agency for Waterway Transport (Antaq), it will study the possibility of a partnership (concession) for the operation of the segment, after the conclusion of the undertaking as a public work.

“The previous government was very concerned with modeling suggestions and little with practical actions. For this reason, it was unable to get this important project off the ground,” criticized the agency. The MPor also stated that “this is one of the priority works of the new federal government”, and that the elaboration of the schedule is in the finalization phase.

Defender of the project and one of the interlocutors of the Rio Grande do Sul sector on the subject with Planalto, senator Luis Carlos Heinze (PP) celebrated the progress in the negotiations and the government’s commitment. “I understand that the joint statement in which the government assumes responsibility is yet another step forward towards the realization of the waterway, which has been desired for over six decades. We need to follow all the steps to guarantee this work with the urgency it needs. The new modal will lower logistical costs in the region and make products from Rio Grande do Sul more competitive”, highlighted Heinze.

Government leader Eduardo Leite (PSDB) in the Legislative Assembly, state deputy Frederico Antunes celebrated the countries’ commitment to the work. “We have a historic relationship with this neighboring country that transcends legal issues due to proximity. Now, however, with the official announcement of the works, this partnership strengthens our ties even more. impetus in the process of modernization of Mercosur”, said Antunes.

Negotiated by the two countries since 1909, the waterway covers 1,860 kilometers and connects Uruguay to Brazil through Lagoa Mirim and Canal São Gonçalo. According to the project’s feasibility study, delivered to the federal government in April last year, the waterway could transport an annual cargo of around 5 million tons between the two borders.

In addition to the highway, the package of joint initiatives signed in the declaration between the countries also included the binationalization of Rivera International Airport. Located in Uruguay, the airport borders the city of Santana do Livramento in Rio Grande do Sul.

The binational action also includes the opening of tenders, within 60 days, for the construction of a new bridge over the Jaguarão River, in the border region with Uruguay. The crossing, with 150 meters, will facilitate the integration between the cities of Jaguarão, on the Brazilian side, and Rio Branco, on the Uruguayan side.

The Uruguayan government, in turn, committed itself to the reform of the Barão de Mauá International Bridge, which carries out similar traffic, but no longer supports the flow of the region. The connection inaugurated in 1930 is listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).

Also present at the signing of the joint declaration were the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, of Transport, Renan Filho, of Ports and Airports, Márcio França.