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Federal Authorization Permits Use of 1.416 Million Square Meters in Salvador, Vera Cruz, and the Bay of All Saints, While the Cable-Stayed Bridge Integrates a Transportation System with Tunnels, Overpasses, a New Expressway, and Road Duplications
The cable-stayed bridge connecting Salvador to Itaparica Island has received a new push to advance in Bahia after the Secretariat of the Patrimony of the Union authorized the use of 1,416,231.24 square meters of federal land necessary for the project. The area spans Salvador, Vera Cruz, and the waters of the Bay of All Saints and is said to be equivalent to approximately 196 soccer fields according to the primary source’s calculations.
The information was published by ND Mais on September 21, 2026, based on Ordinance MGI-SPU-BA/MGI No. 7.580/2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Union. The project currently has an estimated investment of around R$ 12 billion and is part of a much larger transportation system than the bridge itself, including access routes, tunnels, overpasses, a new expressway, and duplication of a section of BA-001. Official sources from the Bahia government confirm that the main crossing will measure 12.4 kilometers over the Bay of All Saints.
Released Area Exceeds 1.4 Million Square Meters
Federal authorization is necessary because part of the interventions occupies Union lands and areas over the Bay of All Saints. Of the 1,416,231.24 square meters released, 100,855.61 m² are located in Água de Meninos, Salvador, an area where structures related to access and arrival of the bridge in the capital will be implemented.
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The largest portion sits over the Bay itself: 1,286,386.30 m² of water surface. In Vera Cruz, on Itaparica Island, another 28,989.33 m² of solid ground were included in the authorization to facilitate the integration of the structure into the roadway system that will continue through the municipality. The sum of these three areas provides the comparison equivalent to approximately 196 soccer fields presented by ND Mais.
Main Bridge Will Span 12.4 Kilometers Over the Bay of All Saints
While larger numbers are used to describe the entire roadway system, the Salvador–Itaparica Bridge will have a length of 12.4 kilometers over the water. The structure will provide a direct connection between Salvador and Vera Cruz and is touted by the Bahia government as the largest bridge in Latin America over water.
The cable-stayed section will be one of the most technically complex components of the construction. Official information indicates that the structure may reach up to 85 meters in height in this segment. For safety reasons and project characteristics, pedestrian traffic is not planned for the crossing, while buses will be able to utilize the roadway connection.
R$ 12 Billion Will Be Invested in a Project That Extends Beyond the Bridge
The budget presented in August by the Extraordinary Secretariat for the Western Road System estimated the project at approximately R$ 12 billion (about US$2.2 billion), combining public and private resources. The most recent figure was detailed by Secretary Mateus Dias during a presentation on the progress of the works and aligns with the estimate released by the primary source.
The cable-stayed bridge is just the most visible element of the project. In Salvador, the implementation includes about 4 kilometers of new road structures between the Calçada and Água de Meninos areas, featuring viaducts and two tunnels parallel to those existing on the Expressway. On Itaparica Island, an expressway of approximately 22 kilometers is planned, followed by the duplication of a stretch of BA-001.
Tunnels, Viaducts, and Highways Will Connect the Crossing to the Rest of Bahia
The arrival of such a large bridge on both banks demands a network of access points capable of handling the vehicle flow. In Salvador, the system will need to connect with the existing network in the Lower City and the Expressway. In Vera Cruz, the new road will help distribute traffic across the island and connect it to the road corridors leading to Recôncavo and Baixo Sul.
The official project includes a new expressway of about 22 kilometers between the Mar Grande area and the vicinity of Cacha Pregos. Following this, approximately 8.8 kilometers of BA-001 are set to be duplicated up to the Ponte do Funil region. Therefore, the physical impact of the work will exceed the 12.4 kilometers of the maritime crossing.
Construction Officially Started in July 2026
The official start of construction occurred on July 1, 2026, during a ceremony in Vera Cruz. Prior to this, the project underwent stages of licensing, site preparation, equipment arrival, and authorizations for interventions on land and in the environment of the Bay of All Saints.
In June, the Bahia Institute of Environment and Water Resources published acts such as the Implementation License, authorization for vegetation suppression, wildlife management, and compensatory measures. These documents are part of the legal conditions required for the various fronts of the project to advance.
Project Executed Through a PPP with Chinese Engineering Groups
The work is being developed through a Public-Private Partnership between the Government of Bahia and the Salvador–Itaparica Concessionaire. According to the official project page, the consortium includes the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
Chinese companies’ participation is also evident in the manufacturing and preparation stage of the components needed for construction. Equipment and materials began arriving at the site before the major work fronts commenced, while construction sites were organized at various locations to accommodate the scale of the operation. The Bahia government expects thousands of jobs to be created during construction and has initiated programs aimed at training the local workforce.
A 12-Kilometer Temporary Platform Will Be Built to Support Construction
Before the definitive structure crosses the bay, the project calls for a temporary linear platform approximately 12 kilometers long. It will support construction activities, allowing for the movement of workers, equipment, and materials along the future crossing.
This stage helps explain why the advancement of a maritime project of this magnitude occurs differently than a bridge constructed entirely on land. Foundations, piles, service access roads, and temporary structures need to be installed before the permanent sections become more evident in the landscape of the Bay of All Saints.
Bridge Aims to Create a Direct Road Connection Between Salvador and the Island
Currently, the most well-known direct connection between Salvador and Itaparica relies on the ferry system. With the construction of the new bridge, vehicles will be able to cross the bay through a continuous road connection and follow the new routes planned in the design.
The state administration links the project to mobility between Salvador, Itaparica Island, Recôncavo, and Baixo Sul. The official page of the system states that the new connection could influence travel involving more than 250 municipalities. These projections fall under government planning and depend on the completion and future operation of the entire road network.
Stressed Section Will Be One of the Most Complex Points of the Project
In a cable-stayed bridge, part of the deck is supported by cables connected directly to towers. This solution allows for larger spans with fewer intermediate supports, a feature especially relevant in areas where navigation channels must be preserved.
In the Bahia project, the cable-stayed section integrates a much larger structure, formed by different engineering solutions along the 12.4 kilometers. The dimensions and maritime conditions of the Bay of All Saints require foundations and components sized to operate under the influence of wind, saltwater, boat traffic, and large volumes of vehicular traffic.
Federal Authorization Replaces Previous Act Regarding Land Use
The new authorization from the Secretariat of the Patrimony of the Union replaces a prior permit granted in July 2026. The update was formalized by Portaria MGI-SPU-BA/MGI No. 7,580/2026 and governs the use of federal areas associated with the interventions.
This type of act does not alone represent the physical construction of a new section. It addresses a patrimonial and administrative step necessary for the project to legally utilize areas belonging to the Union, including the body of water where a significant portion of the cable-stayed bridge will be implemented.
Current Schedule Points to Completion by June 2031
The timeline mentioned by ND Mais projects that services will be completed by June 2031. By then, the project will have gone through different phases, from preparing access roads and temporary structures to executing foundations, pillars, the deck, cable-stayed section, and road connections.
The timeline for a maritime project of this scale depends on the sequence of technical, environmental, and logistical activities. Therefore, the progress is monitored simultaneously by the state government, the concessionaire, environmental agencies, and institutions responsible for the public areas used during implementation.
Approval of 196 Football Fields Opens a New Front for the Mega Project in Bahia
With authorization for 1.416 million square meters, the project now has critical areas formally available in Salvador, Vera Cruz, and the Bay of All Saints. This measure complements the start of construction, environmental licenses, and the mobilization of equipment already carried out throughout 2026.
The next visible development will depend on the progress of the temporary structures and construction fronts that will support the permanent crossing. If the current timeline is maintained, Bahia should reach 2031 with a 12.4-kilometer bridge connected to a new set of accesses, tunnels, viaducts, and highways on both sides of the bay.
Do you believe that a project of this magnitude can change the mobility and economy of the region? Leave your opinion in the comments.
