Tunnel Santos-Guarujá construction can partially close navigation channel

[[legacy_image_357007]] The President of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, states that the premise in the Santos-Guarujá tunnel project is to not interrupt the passage of ships through the port navigation channel. "The technicians have assured that, during the laying of the precast tunnel pieces, only a portion of the channel will be closed, ensuring the continuity of operations at the Port of Santos. Additionally, each movement will be coordinated with the operators", says Pomini.

The construction of the immersed tunnel between Santos and Guarujá is taking its first steps to move from an "urban legend" status to becoming a real solution for transportation between the two municipalities.

There were three public hearings, between April 18th and 19th, and an online public consultation. The forecast for the publication of the tender, according to the reference schedule, is March of next year, with the bidding process in July. The prospect of starting construction raises curiosity: how is the assembly of a tunnel in the estuary technically planned?

The project from the former Dersa, dated of 2014, used as a basis, provides some insight into how everything will be done regarding the construction and installation of the modules, 21 meters below the waterline.

Dry dock

"The first thing is to define the location of the so-called dry dock, that is the shipyard where the tunnel modules to be laid in the navigation channel section of the port are constructed", says APS project supervisor Reginaldo Ortega.

According to him, the most accepted idea among scholars on the subject is for this structure to be located as close as possible to the module laying site, avoiding problems due to transportation.

"This type of shipyard can be temporary (in a location that allows assembly and disassembly at the end of construction) or, when available, an operational shipyard for vessels. In the case of the Santos-Guarujá crossing, there is no permanent structure that meets the needs as closely as desired".

He recalls that in the 2014 project six immerseable modules were designed. The dry dock would have the capacity to construct 3 modules at the same time.

"The time for the construction of this dry dock was estimated in 12 months. Each execution endeavor of three modules was estimated in eight months, with two months of flooding/dewatering operation for each", he describes.

The upper part of the finished work also ensures that future deepening dredging can occur without problems, allowing the immersed tunnel not to interfere with the operation of the port channel.