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Highway Auctioned For R$ 8 Billion And Will Have High Tolls That Will Exceed R$ 55 After The Installation Of New Toll Plazas. Concessionaire Promises To Duplicate And Modernize The Road, But The High Costs Concern Drivers.
With an auction that moved billions of reais, one of Brazil’s main highways, known as Zebu Route, is now under new concession, and drivers will have a surprise with the tolls.
The National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) held the auction for BR-262, which connects Betim in Minas Gerais to Uberaba in the Triângulo Mineiro, and from now on, those crossing the route will face higher tolls and some changes in the road’s structure.
At the concession event, the company Rotas do Brasil won the 30-year contract to operate and maintain the highway, securing the concession by offering a 15.3% reduction on the initial proposed toll value.
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A new Brazilian shopping center worth R$ 400 million will be built in an area equivalent to more than 4 football fields, featuring 90 stores, 5 cinemas, a supermarket, a college, and parking for 1,700 cars, potentially generating 3,000 jobs.
Still, the final value is not cheap: drivers will pay over R$ 55.49 to cross the stretch, a considerable increase from the current R$ 30.40.
New Concession Provides For Changes in Toll and Increase in Value
According to the notice, six toll plazas will make up the route between Betim and Uberaba, four of which are already in operation and two still under construction in the cities of Nova Serrana and Araxá.
Until these new plazas are completed, the toll will rise from R$ 30.40 to R$ 38.39, an increase of 26.28% over the current value.
Then, with the additional plazas, the cost will increase to R$ 55.49, a total increase of 82.53%.
The toll plaza in the city of Luz, in central-west Minas Gerais, will be the most expensive on the stretch, and ANTT also indicated that frequent users will be able to count on a progressive discount for repeated trips within the same month, as well as discounts for those using automatic payments via tags.
According to ANTT, the intention is to ease the impact a bit for local drivers, but the savings for those who use the route sporadically will be limited.
Auction Had Competition and Toll Discount
During the auction, the competition to take over BR-262 was fierce between Rotas do Brasil and BTG Pactual, both offering cuts in the toll amount set by ANTT.
Rotas do Brasil won with a discount proposal of 15.3%, reducing the price from R$ 65.54 to approximately R$ 55.49.
This cut was decisive for the company to emerge victorious, taking the concession contract with the promise of billion-dollar investments in the highway.
Rotas do Brasil, which now assumes the management, is a partnership between the Kinea investment fund and the Way Brasil Group, a company already experienced in road infrastructure projects.
The concession brings great responsibilities and requires massive investments in improvements and road maintenance.
Billion-Dollar Investments and Improvements on the Highway
According to the new contract, the concessionaire must invest over R$ 8.54 billion in works and maintenance of BR-262 over the 30 years of the concession.
The investment will be distributed among R$ 4.39 billion in long-term infrastructure projects and R$ 4.14 billion allocated to ongoing operations and maintenance of the highway.
Among the concessionaire’s obligations are the duplication of 44.3 kilometers of highway and the construction of 169 kilometers of additional lanes, providing more safety and fluidity to traffic in the region.
The plan also includes other supporting structures: 3.6 kilometers of service roads, the construction of a Stopping and Rest Area (PPD), 17 pedestrian overpasses, 100 bus stops, and three wildlife crossings, aiming to minimize the environmental impact in the preservation areas near the highway.
Strategic Concession for Cattle Exportation in Brazil
The Zebu Route, nicknamed for crossing an important region for Brazilian cattle ranching, is strategic for transporting 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 integrates a set of projects that the Brazilian government has been undertaking to modernize and privatize old roads, many of which had maintenance and safety issues.
According to experts, this restructuring of the management model of Brazilian highways is part of a long-term policy to attract more private investments and increase the competitiveness of land transportation in Brazil.
Although the investments bring expectations of improvements, the new toll values represent a heavier 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 goal of promoting improvements and reducing the problems affecting the country’s road network.
With the price adjustment, the question remains: does the value of the tolls really justify itself? What is your opinion on the increases, and how do you see the impact of these private concessions on the quality of Brazilian highways?
Uma vergonha absurda,além de aumentar as praças de pedágios ainda vão subir os valores,vamos ser roubados na cara dura e ninguém faz nada onde está esse bando de **** que em época de eleição vem pedir votos?
Eu acho que está correto… agradando alguns políticos… meu Brasil brasileiro
Absurdo transformarem BRS a pagamento, obrigando a circolazione dos veicolo, nas mesmas, pois nao existindo outra opção!!!
Na Europa eu posso decidir qual estrada percorrer.Ninguem mim obriga.