It is imagined that a road project, ignored for five decades, could completely change the reality of the South Coast of Sรฃo Paulo. A highway that, if finally built, promises to change the economic, cultural and tourist game of the entire region, in addition to bringing new hope of employment to thousands of people.
However, at As dreams of progress begin to take shape, serious concerns also arise about the environmental impacts that this work could trigger. But can the benefits really justify the possible harms?
A promise of economic and social progress
After a long 50 years of waiting, the Parelheiros-Itanhaรฉm Highway, which connects the city of Itanhaรฉm to the southern tip of the capital of Sรฃo Paulo, returns to the center of discussions.
This road could, according to project supporters, revolutionize the economic scenario of the region.
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โThe construction of a new road connection with the Capital would bring numerous economic benefits to the South Coastโ, highlighted Josรฉ Alberto Loio de Loureiro, president of the Itanhaรฉm Commercial Association (ACAI).
The road, just 15 kilometers long, would cut travel time between Planalto Paulista and the beaches of the South Coast in half.
According to Loureiro, โthis connection would strengthen commercial and cultural relationsโ between Itanhaรฉm, Greater Sรฃo Paulo and the Sorocaba Region, directly benefiting the local population and encouraging new investments.
Jobs, tourism and development
The promise of creating thousands of jobs is one of the most attractive points of the project.
With the completion of the highway, Loureiro expects a significant increase in the flow of tourists and investors, boosting key sectors such as local commerce and the real estate sector.
โWith easier access, we expect an increase in the flow of tourists and investors, which, in turn, would boost local commerce and the real estate sectorโ, projects the president of ACAI.
This expectation is nothing new, as the highway is a long-standing demand of the population, politicians and businesspeople in the region.
Initially named โNova Imigrantesโ, Parelheiros-Itanhaรฉm would also alleviate traffic on the Anchieta-Imigrantes System, offering an alternative for both tourists and trucks heading to the Port of Santos from regions such as the west of Sรฃo Paulo, north of Paranรก and even Mato Grosso do Sul.
According to the Diรกrio do Litoral website, The Department of Highways (DER) announced this month the reopening of technical and economic feasibility studies for the highway.
These studies update analyzes carried out in 2015, but there is still no defined deadline for their completion.
Obstacles and challenges: a history of unfulfilled promises
However, not everything is hope and optimism. The Parelheiros-Itanhaรฉm Highway project has a history of unfulfilled promises and controversies.
In 2012, the construction company Contern showed interest in building the road, but ended up facing financial difficulties, which resulted in a judicial recovery process, and the contract was never signed.
Additionally, we bring the Parliamentary Front for the Third Track of Imigrantes, in Legislative Assembly of the State of Sรฃo Paulo (Alesp), intends to discuss the project in its first post-mid-year break meeting, as per the commitment of the groupโs president, Solange Freitas (Uniรฃo).
The date of the meeting, however, has not yet been defined.
Environmental debate: risks and resistance
While some see the highway as a gateway to development, others raise serious concerns about environmental risks.
State deputy Mรกrio Maurici de Lima Morais (PT), coordinator of the Parliamentary Front in Defense of the Environment in Alesp, is one of the main opponents of the project.
For him, the road โwould trigger a process of disorderly occupation of one of the best preserved stretches of the Atlantic Forest, with intense deforestationโ.
Maurici argues that the construction of the highway would bring more harm than benefit to the population and the environment, highlighting that the area in question is part of a region of preservation of water sources that supply Greater Sรฃo Paulo.
Furthermore, the Atlantic Forest is a valuable natural heritage, with few sections still preserved.
For the deputy, โthe insistence on building the highway may be related to economic interests, such as real estate speculation in the regionโ.
The idea that a project of this magnitude, which has not left the drawing board for 30 years, could now be resumed, suggests, according to him, the influence of hidden economic forces.
The future of the highway: hope or danger?
The clash between development and environmental preservation marks the discussion on the Parelheiros-Itanhaรฉm Highway.
On one side, we have those who see the road as a unique opportunity for growth and improvement of life for the inhabitants of the South Coast.
On the other hand, there are those who fear that this progress will come at a very high cost to the environment and to the quality of life of future generations.
While feasibility studies continue without a defined deadline, the debate promises to remain heated, with pressure from both sides.
The question remains: to what extent are we willing to sacrifice our natural heritage in the name of development?
Do you believe that the economic benefits brought by the construction of the Parelheiros-Itanhaรฉm Highway outweigh the environmental risks, or should the preservation of the Atlantic Forest be prioritized above all else?
The highway has to be built YES
It would be good if these people in the press who post these malicious comments trying to diminish the greatness of this project would put themselves in the shoes of those who live there or travel through it. If they were residents of the region, would they be rooting against the project and measuring its environmental impact? Enough hypocrisy.
Totally against the highway. Anything that involves harming the environment is a step backwards. We have to change the culture that โfacilitiesโ only benefit us.