New PAC recycles 11 highway works promised since PAC 1

Eleven road works included in the New Growth Acceleration Program (New PAC), launched in August, were already listed in the latest PAC 1 report, published at the end of 2010. They cover the construction, paving and duplication of highways in all regions from the country.

Now in its third version, the PAC is another of the “recycled” programs from Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) previous mandates.

The South and Northeast lead in the number of “stuck” works: three in each region. North and Central-West have two each and the Southeast, one. Among the states, the leadership is from Santa Catarina and Mato Grosso, each with two works that have not progressed since then.

North

One of the highways with delayed works is the paving of BR-156 Norte, in Amapá. There are around 110 kilometers of the stretch between Calçoene and Oiapoque, on the border with French Guiana, that have not been paved. The PAC report at the end of 2010 stated that the work was in progress and PAC 2, released in 2014, stated that part had already been completed.

The rest of the work still needs to be tendered. The expected cost is R$500 million, and the paving is expected to be completed within three years, depending on weather conditions.

Another highway with “stuck” works is BR-230, Transamazônica, in Pará.

The first PAC provided for the construction and paving of 839 km between Marabá and Rurópolis. The asphalt was laid on a 116-kilometer stretch north of Marabá and between Pacajá and Medicilândia, which is 349 kilometers long.

For the Novo PAC, the construction of the section between Medicilândia and Rurópolis (256 km) and between Novo Repartimento and Pacajá (87 km) is planned. Two bridges are also planned to be installed on BR-230, one over the Xingu River and the other between Altamira and Rurópolis.

North East

One of the highways with the most work contracted for PACs 1 and 2 and which once again appears as a priority in the New PAC is BR-101.

Three stretches in the Northeast that were listed as being duplicated in PACs 1 and 2 are once again included as a priority in the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government’s program. They are located in Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe.

According to maps from the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit), in Pernambuco there is a need to duplicate 26 km between Palmares, in the south of the state, and the border with Alagoas. The PAC 1 report, from 2010, indicated that 22 km of earthworks in this section were expected to be completed by March 2011 and that at least 10 kilometers of paving would be ready by April 2015.

The agency points out that, in Alagoas, there are three sections pending duplication for a total of 86 kilometers. A fourth, 17.3 km long, which cuts through the Wassu Cocal indigenous lands, in Joaquim Gomes (north of the state), and Karapotó, between Junqueiro and São Sebastião, and can be made viable after signing a conduct adjustment agreement, in August, involving the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai) and the Ministry of Transport.

Sergipe has two sections that have not yet been duplicated: one of 55 km from Estância (in the south of the state) to the border with Bahia, and another from the SE-245 junction, in Pedra Branca, to the border with Alagoas, approximately of 75 km.

Midwest

The two road works “stuck” in the Center-West are in Mato Grosso. These are the construction of BR-242, between Ribeirão Cascalheira and Sorriso, and BR-158, between Ribeirão Cascalheira and the border between Mato Grosso and Pará.

The PAC 1 closure report, published at the end of 2010, indicated that works on BR-242 were in progress. Four years later, the document referring to PAC 2 signaled the same.

Now, the New PAC foresees the construction of the section between Santiago do Norte and Gaúcha do Norte. The start of works depends on the completion of environmental licensing and studies of the impacts on the indigenous population. Proposals for alternative routes are being evaluated by Dnit in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Only sections of the highway are paved. Two that are close to Parque do Xingu need to be implemented.

The completion of works on the remaining 120 kilometers of BR-158, which bypasses an indigenous reserve, was approved last month. The work will benefit the Vale do Araguaia region, one of the country’s new agricultural frontiers. Licensing had been blocked for more than ten years.

Southeast

The BR-381 duplication project, between Belo Horizonte and Governador Valadares (MG), a route of 317 kilometers, was included in the final report of PAC 1, in 2010.

The final PAC 2 report, published at the end of 2014, stated that the works were in progress. But Spanish construction company Isolux Corsán, which won six of the 11 lots, stopped them. In June 2016, Dnit unilaterally terminated the contracts.

Attempts to grant the stretch, also known as “Rodovia da Morte”, were made in 2013 and in 2021, when the BR-262 route was also included, between João Monlevade (MG) and Viana (ES), near the capital of Espírito Santo. After three failed attempts, the auction was canceled in February 2022, due to a lack of interested parties. New bidding is scheduled for November 24th.

South

Three road duplication works in the South of Brazil appear in the final reports of PAC 1 and PAC 2 and appear again in the New PAC:

• BR-116: Porto Alegre (RS)–Pelotas (RS)
• BR-280: São Francisco do Sul (SC)–Jaraguá do Sul (SC)
• BR-470: Navegantes (SC)–Indaial (SC)

The first part of the BR-280 duplication was released at the end of June and is located near Guaramirim (northeast of SC). It is a 1.6 km stretch. The total work is approximately 74 km.

The first negotiations for duplication began in 2008. At the end of 2010, it was in the bidding phase, and in 2014, works were in progress. The most delayed section is between the port of São Francisco do Sul and the junction with BR-101.

Estimates by the Federation of Industries of the State of Santa Catarina (Fiesc), made in March, indicate the need for an additional R$920 million to complete the work.

One of the most “advanced” works in the “packed” lot is BR-470. The stretch between Navegantes and Blumenau is partially duplicated and opened for traffic. Parts of the route to Indaial are also ready.

One of the factors that led to the postponement of the delivery of the two highways was the lack of resources. Credits for the duplication of the two highways in Santa Catarina were released in May by the Ministry of Planning. R$224 million were allocated to BR-280 and R$112 million to BR-470.

Another project in the south of the country that is taking longer than expected is the duplication of the southern section of BR-116 in Rio Grande do Sul, between Guaíba, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, and Pelotas.

The works were being tendered at the end of 2010, according to the latest PAC 1 report. In the final PAC 2 document, they were described as “in progress”. Currently, the highway is doubled between Porto Alegre and Guaíba, in a stretch of around 27 kilometers, and at the exit from Pelotas. There are 213 km left to complete. Part of the route is concessioned.

Expectations of duplication of the southern section of BR-116, between Guaíba and Pelotas, in Rio Grande do Sul, are giving encouragement to mayors and business entities in the south of the state, points out the GZH portal. The bidding for the works was scheduled in the PAC in 2010.

The 11 road works of the New PAC “recycled” from previous versions

Duplication of BR-101 in Alagoas

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: signed TAC guaranteed the duplication of 17.3 km in the northern section. Authorization for duplication of 1.5 km in Porto Real do Colégio

Duplication of BR-101 in Pernambuco

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: planned work

Duplication of BR-101 in Sergipe

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: authorization for small works on the northern section of the highway

Duplication of the Southern Section of BR-116 in Rio Grande do Sul

• Status in 2010: under bidding
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: planned work

Paving the Northern Section of BR-156 in Amapá

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: ongoing (partially completed)
• Current status: awaiting bid

Paving of BR-158: Ribeirão Cascalheira (MT)–MT/PA border

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: authorization to start works and implementation of 12 km

Construction and paving of BR-230: Marabá (PA)–Rurópolis (PA)

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: planned work

Construction of BR-242: Ribeirão Cascalheira (MT)–Sorriso (MT)

• Status in 2010: running
• Status in 2014: running
• Current situation: work planned only on the Gaúcha do Norte–Santiago do Norte section. Awaits completion of environmental licensing and studies related to indigenous populations

Duplication of BR-280: São Francisco do Sul (SC)–Jaraguá do Sul (SC)

• Status in 2010: under bidding
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: works in progress

Duplication of BR-381: Belo Horizonte (MG)–Governador Valadares (MG)

• Situation in 2010: project in progress
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: bidding scheduled for November 24th

Duplication of BR-470: Navegantes (SC)–Indaial (SC)

• Situation in 2010: project in progress
• Status in 2014: running
• Current status: works in progress