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Tunnel valued at R$6 billion, promises to create 9 thousand jobs, but faces resistance due to the low expropriation values offered to residents.
A monumental tunnel that promises to revolutionize the connection between Santos and Guarujá is about to come to fruition, with an estimated cost of almost R$6 billion.
The grand work can generate 9 thousand empregos and will be a milestone for Brazil's infrastructure.
But as the project gains momentum, Residents of a neighborhood crucial to the execution face a dramatic situation: the threat of receiving only a fraction of the real value of their homes if they are expropriated. And this situation has generated a real despair in the local population.
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The issue has become a sensitive point among residents of the Macuco neighborhood in Santos.
The State plans to pay around R$2.390,00 per square meter of built area, value well below market price, which is around R$9, according to the Regional Council of Real Estate Brokers (Creci-SP).
But why such a glaring difference? And more importantly, will the project be able to move forward without generating more controversy?
The discrepancy in expropriation values
According to the Companhia Paulista de Parcerias (CPP), the amount offered to residents was defined based on the Feasibility Study of the Santos-Guarujá Immersed Tunnel, an assessment that took into account the average price per square meter in the region and also the impact of the work on the Macuco neighborhood.
According to the study, the value of R$2.390,00 per square meter was established based on a composition of land and improvements, according to research carried out by FIPE (Economic Research Institute Foundation).
However, the real price of properties in the region is much higher.
According to data from Creci-SP, confirmed by the entity's president, José Augusto Viana Neto, the square meter in Santos can vary from R$4 to R$17, with most deals being closed in the R$9 range.
This mismatch between the value offered by the government and the market value has fueled a climate of tension in public hearings, which have been held to debate the project.
Revolt and despair at public hearings
In the public hearings held recently in the cities of Santos and Guarujá, the issue of expropriations was the central theme of the debates.
Second Nilson Regalado, journalist of Coastal Diary in the article this Tuesday (15), last Wednesday, 21 residents of the Macuco neighborhood participated in a hearing at the Guarany Theater, in Santos, to express their concerns.
A Macuco Community Association (Acom) signed up residents to speak and many of them expressed their dissatisfaction.
Fabiana Rodrigues Graça Rufo Paiva, one of the affected residents, stated:
"Clearly, the values are not adequate for purchasing another property in Santos, which is a very expensive city. If this value is maintained, it will probably lead to legal challenges.".
Another participant, the representative of the Santos Public Servants Union, Flávio Saraiva, added:
"I hope the State Government has the sensitivity not to dump the losses from this tunnel on the residents of Macuco.".
His proposal was for the government to subsidize the affected families, since will subsidize with R$ 290 million/year the contractor that will operate the tunnel.
Negotiations and expectations for a solution
Faced with popular pressure, the director of Companhia Paulista de Parcerias, Raquel França, stated that the government is willing to reevaluate the values offered to residents.
"We are open to holding a new meeting with the residents of Macuco and the City of Santos to re-discuss this value.”, she declared, in response to widespread dissatisfaction.
According to the State Secretariat for Investment Partnership, the amount of R$2.390,00 it is not definitive, and was defined by FIPE based on a survey of available land in the region, using data from the Zap Imóveis portal.
The calculation involved the application of the Basic Unit Cost of Construction (CUB) on the built areas affected by the work, taking into account additional funds, such as assistance with changes and compensation for lost profits for commercial properties.
The construction schedule and challenges
Even with all this controversy, the Santos-Guarujá tunnel continues to advance.
The bidding process for choosing the contractor or consortium responsible for the work is expected to be launched in first half of 2025.
The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract must be signed by October 2025, with a 12-month deadline for the preparation of the executive project.
Construction work is scheduled to begin in October 2026, and completion is expected in 2030.
The tunnel, which will be 870 meters long and will be submerged in the Estuary of the Port of Santos, will be one of the largest infrastructure projects ever carried out in Brazil, with a total estimated cost of R$6 billion, financed by the federal and state governments.
The expectation is that the work will not only connect the cities of Santos and Guarujá, but will also generate 9 jobs, boosting the region’s economy.
Will this project bring more benefits or problems?
the future of Santos-Guaruja tunnel is still uncertain, especially due to issues involving expropriations and the values offered by the government.
The population of the Macuco neighborhood fears that the project, which could be a revolution in mobility in the region, will become a nightmare for those who will be removed from their homes.
But what do you think? Will the Santos-Guarujá tunnel be a milestone for Brazil or an example of poorly managed problems?
