Tunnel between Santos and Guarujá to have best access options defined by committee to improve vehicle flow

Truck traffic in Guarujá: works on the second phase of the Left Bank Perimeter Avenue will be considered during the analysis (APS/Disclosure)

A technical committee will seek consensus on the best route options for access to the immersed Santos-Guarujá tunnel on the Left Bank of the Port, in the Vicente de Carvalho District. The initiative was proposed and approved by the president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, during a meeting held on Thursday morning (7) at the federal public company’s office in São Paulo.

The meeting was requested by the mayor of Guarujá, Farid Madi (Pode), although he did not attend. The Guarujá administration sent two representatives: Planning Secretary Daniela Mariane and the mayor’s advisor Mauro Scazufca. Representing APS, in addition to Anderson Pomini, were Infrastructure Director Orlando Razões, superintendents, managers, advisors and technical staff. Representatives of the private concessionaire Mota-Engil, winner of the bidding process for the construction of the tunnel, also attended.

The idea is for the committee to be predominantly technical, bringing together representatives from the Guarujá City Hall, Mota-Engil, terminals on both banks, the Port Authority, the Air Force and other sectors connected to the project. All parties will be invited and, once confirmations are received, a new meeting will be scheduled so that discussions may continue.

“There is a legitimate concern from the City Hall regarding the interventions related to this route alignment, expropriations and the changes that may be proposed, precisely so that we can achieve better vehicle flow. This is absolutely natural. It is a project that will have a very significant impact on the local community. And we will conduct the broadest possible debate so that, in the end, this route alignment may offer the least possible impact on the lives of these people”, comments President Anderson Pomini.

APS President Anderson Pomini received suggestions regarding tunnel access routes during a meeting in the capital city (APS/Disclosure)

Efficient solutions and assessments

APS informed that all options will be evaluated in the search for the most efficient route alignments for Guarujá and the Port of Santos, with the least impact on the population. Several aspects will be taken into consideration, such as the works on the second phase of the Left Bank Perimeter Avenue and the beginning of commercial operations at Guarujá Metropolitan Airport, among others.

One proposal is to include a stretch of Santos Dumont Avenue within the Port Perimeter Area, a matter that falls directly under the responsibility of the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), as already occurred with other areas in the Baixada Santista region approved in February. APS also expects that other previously requested areas will soon be included as well.

If approved by the ministry, possible improvement works for the access routes may receive federal funding and the number of expropriations would be reduced, an issue raised by residents to Mayor Farid Madi.

Pomini emphasized that all options will be evaluated by the technical committee. “We reaffirm our commitment to making the Santos-Guarujá tunnel a project that will boost economic growth and job creation in both Guarujá and Santos. Hence the importance of seeking the best access routes at this historic moment for the future of the region and the country”, he states.

The project

The immersed Santos-Guarujá tunnel will have a total length of 1.5 kilometers, including 870 meters underwater. It will feature three traffic lanes in each direction, in addition to a Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) system, a bicycle lane and a pedestrian crossing.

Construction will be carried out using prefabricated concrete modules installed on the bed of the port channel.

The modules will then be submerged, fitted together and covered with a layer of rocks. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2030, with full operations expected to start in 2031.