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Highway is auctioned for R$8 billion and will have high tolls, which will exceed R$55 after the installation of new toll plazas. Concessionaire promises to widen and modernize the road, but the high costs are worrying drivers.
With an auction that moved billions of reais, one of the main highways in Brazil, known as Zebu Route, is now under a new concession, and drivers will have a surprise at the tolls.
The National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) held the auction for BR-262, which connects Betim, in Minas Gerais, to Uberaba, in Triângulo Mineiro, and from now on, anyone who uses the route will face higher fares and some changes to the structure of the road.
At the concession event, the company Rotas do Brasil took the 30-year contract to operate and maintain the highway, winning the concession by offering a 15,3% reduction on the initial proposed toll value.
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Still, the final value It won't be cheap: drivers will pay more than R$55,49 to cross the stretch, a considerable increase compared to the current R$30,40.
New concession foresees changes in tolls and an increase in the value
According to the notice, six squares Toll will make up the route between Betim and Uberaba, four of them already in operation and two still under construction in the cities of Nova Serrana and Araxá.
Until these new plazas are completed, the fare will increase from R$30,40 to R$38,39, an increase of 26,28% on the current value.
Then, with the additional squares, the cost will rise to R$55,49, an increase of 82,53% in total.
The toll plaza in the city of Luz, in the center-west of Minas Gerais, will be the most expensive on the stretch, and the ANTT also indicated that frequent users will be able to count on a progressive discount for repeated trips in the same month, in addition to discounts for those who use automatic payments via TAGs.
As reported by ANTT, the intention is to alleviate the impact on local drivers a little, but the savings for those who use the route sporadically will be limited.
Auction had dispute and discount on toll
During the auction, the dispute to take over BR-262 was fierce between Rotas do Brasil and BTG Pactual, both offering cuts in the toll amount stipulated by ANTT.
Rotas do Brasil won with a proposed discount of 15,3%, dropping the price from R$65,54 to approximately R$55,49.
This cut was crucial for the company to emerge victorious, taking the concession contract with the promise of billion-dollar investments on the highway.
Rotas do Brasil, which is now taking over management, is a partnership between the Kinea investment fund and Grupo Way Brasil, a company already experienced in road infrastructure projects.
The concession brings great responsibilities and requires massive investments in improvements and maintenance of the road.
Billion-dollar investments and highway improvements
According to the new contract, the concessionaire must invest more than BRL 8,54 billion in works and maintenance of BR-262 over the 30 years of the concession.
The investment will be distributed between R$4,39 billion in long-term infrastructure projects and R$4,14 billion earmarked for ongoing operations and maintenance of the highway.
The concessionaire's obligations include the duplication of 44,3 kilometers of track and the construction of 169 kilometers of additional lanes, offering greater safety and fluidity to traffic in the region.
The plan also includes other support structures: 3,6 kilometers of marginal roads, the construction of a Stop and Rest Point (PPD), 17 pedestrian walkways, 100 bus stops and three wildlife crossings, aiming to minimize the environmental impact on the preservation areas close to the highway.
Strategic concession for livestock exports in Brazil
The Zebu Route, nicknamed for crossing an important region for Brazilian livestock farming, is strategic for the transportation of products and goods, connecting the interior of Minas Gerais to exporting regions.
With the renewal of the concession, the Brazilian government hopes to modernize the infrastructure of BR-262, attracting more investments and strengthening the agricultural export sector.
The concession of the Zebu Route is part of a set of projects that the Brazilian government has been carrying out to modernize and privatize old roads, many of which had maintenance and safety problems.
According to experts, this restructuring of the Brazilian highway management model is part of a long-term policy to attract more private investment and increase the competitiveness of land transport in Brazil.
Although investments bring expectations of improvements, the new toll prices represent a greater burden for those who regularly travel in the region.
The concession reinforces the presence of private companies in Brazilian road infrastructure, a trend that has been encouraged in recent years with the aim of promoting improvements and reducing the problems that affect the country's road network.
With the price adjustment, the question remains: are the toll prices really justified? What is your opinion on the increases, and how do you see the impact of these private concessions on the quality of Brazilian highways?
This highway is already tolled in Minas Gerais, and the highway is terrible, lots of holes, curves, there is no third lane, a disgrace for Minas Gerais.
Not even the lanes are painted regularly!
This is Brazil.
Land of opportunists lol
I spent this week on a stretch of this highway in SP, without tolls it is 10 times better than the stretches with tolls in Minas Gerais, I am from Minas Gerais and in this regard I am ashamed of being from Minas Gerais.
The difference is that most of the highways in SP are state highways, not federal highways. Therefore, on the federal highways, for many years, under various governments, since the 80s, they have not invested enough in improvements, but the tolls are there. Another shame in Minas Gerais, 050 kkkkkkk Juatuba to Oliveira, duplication in a very small stretch, but the expensive tolls are there.
Me too. And by the looks of it, our shame will continue to grow.
Just sell your vote to a politician who “promises” to improve this highway. But he doesn’t, lol
You can be sure that this stretch that you passed will soon be full of tolls, the parachutist ****, without a word and without shame, will put it in, as he did here in Mogi das Cruzes, (Mogi Dutra) in the campaign, when questioned he said he wouldn't put it in, he just had to win the election, he forgot the promise, probably to fulfill a promise to hand it over to some accomplice who financed his campaign.
****, this highway does not pass through the state of São Paulo
BR 262 starts in Vitória ES, goes to BH, then goes from Betim to the Minas Gerais triangle, from the triangle it enters São Paulo and goes to MS, the total route is from Vitória ES to Corumbá MS, passing through BH and Campo Grande. The auctioned section goes from Betim to Uberaba.
The first change has already come on horseback toll toll toll
It came quickly, this part is easier to complete, shame on you.
The most interesting thing is the statement made by the State through ANTT, that the project is to modernize the roads. How? I had the misfortune of traveling from Bom Despacho – MG to Caldas Novas – GO, and the part I traveled on BR-262 was horrible. Because there were only trucks, very uneven terrain with many ups and downs, and there was still no duplication. A trip that would take 4 hours increases by an average of 1 hour because of this very dangerous stretch. To make matters worse, the duplication will not happen, but the toll plazas and toll booths will increase.
I'm from Luz, and we occasionally make this trip for pleasure, I'll just tell you one thing, it's a bad stretch of the 262, I agree, but if you go through the stretch of Ibiá, Patrocínio and Araguari, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
What would “PASSEIROS” be?
Rushing to post and lack of reviewing cause these things…