Tunnel between Santos and Guarujá progresses and attracts business interest; investment exceeds R$ 6 Billion

Tunnel will connect Guarujá and Santos underwater; concrete modules will be used for construction (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

The Santos-Guarujá immersed tunnel project has received its first environmental approval. The technical opinion in favor of the Environmental Impact Study and Report (EIA-Rima) was issued by the Environmental Company of São Paulo State (Cetesb). The proposal now moves forward for deliberation by the State Environmental Council (Consema).

The auction, initially scheduled for August 1, has been postponed to September 5. The official justification is that the new deadline will allow more time for proposal development.

The project foresees R\$ 6.8 billion in investments. This amount was increased by approximately R\$ 800 million in the latest version of the public notice, published last month. The funding will be shared between the State and Federal governments, with the State of São Paulo responsible for conducting the bidding process.

There are already confirmed interested parties. The Brazilian construction company Marquise Infraestrutura has partnered with the Italian company WeBuild to form a consortium that will compete in the bidding. The multinational China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has also informed the Brazilian government that it will participate, according to the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho.

The concession term will be 30 years, covering the construction, operation, and maintenance of the tunnel, which will be 1.5 km long (with 870 meters submerged).