Megaterminal at the Port of Santos could solve road access issues

The largest container terminal in South America will cover 621,900 square meters and have an annual capacity of 3.25 million TEU. The lease term will be 25 years, starting in 2026 and ending in 2050, according to APS (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

Whether through counterpart investments from the lessee or public sector contributions, the need to improve road access to the Port of Santos must accompany the implementation of the future Container Terminal (Tecon) Santos 10, at the Saboó quay (STS10). If this occurs, more than just an adjustment to new demand, the terminal could help resolve long-standing logistical bottlenecks that have hindered the region for years.

“The implementation of a new terminal cannot happen at any cost. The residents of the Baixada Santista region must not be negatively affected by the project. We already face chaotic conditions when accessing the terminals on the Right Bank, with very long queues both entering and exiting Santos”, says Washington Flores Júnior, CEO of Bandeirantes Deicmar.

The scale of Tecon Santos 10 justifies the concern. With a tender scheduled for December, it will be the largest container terminal in Brazil, covering 621,900 square meters, with a capacity of 3.25 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year, in addition to 91,000 tons of general cargo. The investment is valued at R\$ 6.45 billion.

The lease term will be 25 years, expected to begin in 2026 and end in 2050, with a possibility of extension. Additionally, the Passenger Terminal currently located in the Outeirinhos area will be relocated to Valongo, near the Historic Center of Santos.

“Road access must be completed before the new terminal begins operations, or it will cause major disruption for residents. A comprehensive traffic study is essential to clearly identify which works must be carried out so that the dream of the new terminal does not become a nightmare for city residents and port users”, adds Flores.

The executive also notes the undeniable need for new container ship berths at the Port. “The terminal will bring benefits to Brazilian maritime trade.”

Fabrizio Pierdomenico, former National Secretary for Ports and Waterway Transport and managing partner of Agência Porto Consultoria Portuária, supports this view. “Trucks will further congest the marginal strip accessing the Port of Santos at the city entrance, causing backups as far as Cubatão. We already see frequent traffic jams in this area, which will only worsen if a new access to the Port is not planned. If done alongside the terminal, this issue could be minimized.”

Overpasses One potential solution involves the construction of two overpasses in Alemoa, announced late last year by the Santos Port Authority (APS). The route is expected to be finalized soon.

“The project is well advanced. The Port needs to grow in coordination with access infrastructure. That’s why we’ve been careful to align the expansion of port areas, especially in the case of Tecon Santos 10”, says APS president Anderson Pomini.

The work is estimated to cost R\$ 250 million and will be carried out by Ecovias Imigrantes, the concessionaire managing the Anchieta-Imigrantes Highway System (SAI).

“Tecon Santos 10 is expected to be fully operational within three years, which is exactly the same timeframe we’ve planned for access construction. And one year later, we will also have the Passenger Terminal at the same site. So, there are multiple interventions planned for the same region”, argues Pomini.

Ecovias Imigrantes reported that the functional project for the Second Access to the Right Bank of the Port of Santos, at km 65 of the Anchieta Highway, is in the final approval stage with the State Transport Agency (Artesp). According to the company, the next steps — including the executive project and schedules — will be coordinated with Artesp. “The concessionaire is also studying, along with the agency, the inclusion of the project in the concession contract.”

Funds for overpass construction already secured Funding for the construction of the two overpasses will come from credits the Port of Santos holds with the Port of Santos Internal Railway (Fips), through a legal and economic framework involving multiple stakeholders, according to APS president Anderson Pomini.

“We involved the Santos City Hall, the State Government, Fips, and the Port, and developed a legal and economic format to move forward with the project. The State Government committed to building the two overpasses (via Ecovias) and requested the basic project, which is ready. The credit we had with Fips will be transferred to the State to fund the works”, explains Pomini.

In a statement, Fips clarified that “the detailed planning of terminal access falls under public administration, and the designated points will be established following the completion of necessary studies and analyses to ensure the best solution for the terminal and the Port of Santos.”

Pomini also noted that, as a counterpart to the investment in the overpasses, the State Government pledged to invest the same amount — R\$ 250 million — in housing for families from Vila dos Criadores, in Alemoa, an area with informal housing that the Port Authority intends to incorporate into the Organized Port’s Polygon.

“We held a public hearing, and the population agreed. These people will be relocated to a well-developed neighborhood where Transbrasa is located. In other words, we move a container-handling company out of the city center — something that made sense 50 years ago but no longer does — and relocate people currently living in stilt houses by the sea to a fully urbanized area with city infrastructure. With goodwill and creativity, we can solve several problems with a single action, especially regarding access”, Pomini details.

City Hall ties operation to infrastructure completion Santos mayor Rogério Santos (Republicanos) made it clear that Tecon Santos 10 will not be allowed to operate at full capacity unless the overpasses are completed.

“City Hall will not allow, through its legal mechanisms, the terminal to operate in this manner without the road solutions in place”, he says.

Rogério Santos points out that the terminal will add more than 5,000 trucks per day.

“That’s a significant increase. We already have very heavy traffic that is unsustainable. The effects of lack of investment and operating a terminal without infrastructure are felt on the way into Santos, on the Anchieta”, he argues.

The mayor adds that the current situation harms the city as a whole.

“In addition to congesting the Anchieta and its marginal roads, it also causes issues within the neighborhoods. Unfortunately, we know that some trucks coming from outside the region end up parking in restricted streets, affecting daily life in several neighborhoods, especially in the Northwest Zone. So, we will not accept the terminal operating in an expanded capacity without the necessary roads and without those overpasses completed”, he emphasizes.

Rogério Santos also stated that Tecon Santos 10 is a solution for Brazil

“But Brazil needs to consider the bigger picture — not just the terminal, but the road infrastructure as well. The terminal itself is the solution. But it must come with investments from the Federal and State Governments in road access and infrastructure. That’s what makes the State of São Paulo a strong state”, he concludes.