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The highways of Minas Gerais could become a national model with the massive investment that seeks to boost the infrastructure sector in the state.
Do you imagine modern and safe highways, transforming the landscape of transportation and job creation in Minas Gerais? This future is getting closer and closer!
With an impressive investment of R$25 billion, the state's main roads are preparing for an infrastructure revolution.
In the last decade, Minas Gerais highways have faced infrastructure and safety challenges.
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Now, the EPR Group, winner of the concession auction for a strategic stretch of BR-040, between Belo Horizonte and Juiz de Fora, promises a radical transformation.
On the 5th, an event in the capital of Minas Gerais will detail the group's ambitious plan, which aims at a series of long-term improvements on highways in the state and even in Paraná.
With duplications, additional lanes and new electronic toll systems, the proposal is to transform Minas Gerais into a national reference in road infrastructure.
Event to leverage investments and partnerships
To consolidate the project, the EPR Group will meet with potential partners and construction suppliers in Belo Horizonte.
The meeting, organized by the Minas Gerais Heavy Construction Industry Union (Sicepot-MG), aims to integrate local companies and strengthen the supply chain necessary for the execution of the works.
With more than R$25 billion to be invested over the next 30 years, the project should boost the construction sector and generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the state.
Strategic concessions for Minas Gerais
The EPR Group's highway modernization project involves several concessions in Minas Gerais. Below are the main details of the highways involved:
EPR Triangle: With a planned investment of R$3,5 billion, this concession will cover nine highways in the Triângulo Mineiro.
The works will benefit 16 municipalities in the region, offering greater safety and agility in transportation.
EPR South of Minas: A pioneer in the implementation of the free flow toll system, this concession will receive R$2,5 billion to improve the flow of vehicles without the need for stops at toll plazas, providing a faster and safer journey.
EPR Coffee Routes: Located in an area with a lot of transport and commerce activity, the concession will receive around R$2,8 billion over the next 30 years, with more than R$800 million being invested in the first five years alone, to speed up the works.
EPR Mineira Road (BR-040): The stretch between Belo Horizonte and Juiz de Fora will be one of the main focuses of investment, with R$5,1 billion expected in improvements.
164 km of duplications will be built, in addition to 15 marginal roads and 8 footbridges, increasing safety and accessibility for drivers.
Auction and the impact on toll value
The concession for BR-040, one of the busiest highways in the state, was won by the Infraestrutura MG consortium, led by EPR.
With the promise of significant improvements, the group offered a discount of 11,21% on the initial toll fee, attracting the concession of the section that connects Belo Horizonte to Juiz de Fora.
However, the new contract has already had a direct impact on users: since August, the toll price has been adjusted, doubling the cost at the three toll plazas on the route.
Now, cars, trucks and vans that travel along the stretch pay R$12,70 at each toll plaza.
The prices apply to the three main points on the route: Itabirito, Conselheiro Lafaiete and Barbacena, cities that make up this important transport axis between the capital of Minas Gerais and Zona da Mata.
Expectations for job creation and strengthening of the economy
The economic impact of this mega-investment goes beyond improving road infrastructure.
The expectation is that the construction sector in Minas Gerais will gain significant momentum, with thousands of jobs created over the next few years.
The demand for specialized labor, equipment and construction materials tends to foster new businesses and strengthen local companies.
As the works unfold, cities surrounding the concessioned highways should benefit economically, with increased trade and the supply of services.
According to experts, This wave of investments places Minas Gerais at a high level in attracting new businesses, making it an attractive hub for companies interested in infrastructure and innovation in transportation..
Minas Gerais as a national reference in infrastructure
If all stages of the project are completed according to schedule, Minas Gerais highways could become a model for other regions of Brazil.
The use of advanced technologies, such as free flow tolls, already signals the EPR Group's commitment to modernization.
This project could set a precedent for future concessions and show the country a path towards modernization and efficiency in road transport..
With investments of this magnitude, the project is ambitious and reflects a development strategy that puts Minas on the map of the main innovations in road infrastructure in Brazil.
But will this plan really transform Minas Gerais' highways into a national example? What do you think? Will the modernization of Minas Gerais' highways set an example for the rest of Brazil?
Politics, narratives, it will not come to fruition!
The contracts with EPR made by the former governor Zema are harmful to the people of Minas Gerais. In the south of Minas Gerais, for example, the BR-459 highway charges a toll but does not widen the highway, which is dangerous and has almost no overtaking points. Traffic is heavy and without widening it is a sad experience to drive on this highway. Worse, there are four narrow and extremely dangerous bridges that should be replaced immediately, but there is no provision in the contract that is harmful to the citizens.
The way Zema is doing these privatizations, it would have been better not to have done them. Zema is condemning the South of Minas Gerais to backwardness and the risk of serious accidents!
BR = federal government
Exultant, I'm sure YES💌
The highway will continue to be terrible and with tolls, for example. We already have the coffee highway, which is expensive and terrible. Someone is winning with these auctions and I assure you that it is not the people of Minas Gerais.
It would be something that Minas never had in its road network and would be very beautiful on paper.
The fraud has already started with the amount charged at the toll, which doubled from one minute to the next without any prior communication.