Santos–Guarujá Tunnel: registration of residents begins to determine compensation

The future dry crossing will be approximately 1.5 kilometers long, including 870 meters underwater (Vanessa Rodrigues/Arquivo AT)

Visits to identify residents and property owners in Macuco, Santos, whose properties will be affected by the future construction of the Santos–Guarujá immersed tunnel, began on Tuesday (20). Through the socioeconomic survey, “situations of social vulnerability and specific assistance needs” will be identified.

Meetings were held on Sunday and Monday between TSG Concessionária, responsible for the construction work, and residents of the Santos neighborhood. According to the concessionaire, the next stage of the process will be the physical survey, including measurements, photographic records, and the collection of documentation for each property.

“Based on this information, individual appraisal reports will be prepared in accordance with NBR 14.653, issued by the Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT), using the Comparative Market Data Method and the Evolutionary Method.”

TSG states that compensation amounts will be determined based on these reports, taking into account the characteristics of each property and the applicable technical parameters.

A Livelihood Restoration Plan is also scheduled to be developed to support the resumption of economic activities. “After these stages, individual negotiations will begin, during which compensation amounts and other assistance measures will be presented.”

Concerns

According to José Santaella Jr., secretary of the Associação Comunitária do Macuco (ACM), there is concern over the uncertainty surrounding the number of properties to be expropriated. “Additional areas are now appearing along Avenida Senador Dantas”, he says.

Residents’ main demand concerns the baseline compensation amounts, which must allow for the full replacement of their properties and the recovery of their economic activities. “We want to know whether the expropriation calculation will be divided across more square meters and whether the baseline amount stipulated in the contract will be applied”.

“We oppose a process of gentrification (the appreciation of an area that drives up housing costs and eventually pushes out lower-income residents), given the particular characteristics of the real estate market in Santos. This raises concerns about the possibility that the amounts will not be sufficient to cover the cost of securing equivalent properties in the market”, he adds.

According to the company, the expropriations “follow the original project, and the properties are those already planned for. If new studies indicate any changes, they will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, with communication to property owners and interested parties through official channels”.

APS hires audit services

The Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS) has issued a public tender to hire a specialized company to provide independent verification services in support of governance, compliance, and the management of the federal funding account for the construction and operation of the Santos–Guarujá immersed tunnel.

The company will provide technical services to support APS's institutional activities. The work is linked to the Commitment Agreement signed between the Port authority and the State Government.

The tender opening is scheduled for November 10 at 10 a.m., on the website specified in the public notice, available at the following link . The winning bidder will be selected following the evaluation and qualification stages established in the notice.

The contract is expected to run for 60 months. Activities will include verifying compliance with contractual milestones; analyzing the financial, procedural, and documentary consistency of disbursement requests submitted to APS for consideration; and assessing the adequacy, consistency, integrity, apparent authenticity, and traceability of the documentation produced.

The scope of work also includes issuing technical reports, opinions, and statements to support APS's institutional activities, providing reasoned analyses of the compliance of procedures related to the federal funding contribution, among other responsibilities.

Expropriation account

Regarding the expropriation account, TSG Concessionária explains that the amount set aside is R\$ 544.3 million, based on March 2025 prices, and will be adjusted according to the Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo (IPCA), Brazil's broad consumer price index. TSG also reports that it continues to operate the Macuco social assistance office at Avenida Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves, 32, as well as other communication channels for the public: telephone 0800-5803457 and email ouvidoria@tsgp.com.br.

Schedule

This year, the functional and detailed engineering designs for the tunnel will be developed, along with supplementary studies, negotiations concerning the required areas, and environmental licensing procedures. Construction activities are already planned for 2027, including the establishment of construction sites, the building of the dry dock where the concrete modules will be manufactured, and preliminary dredging.

Manufacturing of the tunnel modules is scheduled for 2028, followed by the immersion and assembly of the structures the following year. Finishing work is planned for 2030, with operations expected to begin in 2031.