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With Promises of Progress, Highway Construction Was Delivered, but Already Faces Serious Problems. Traffic Jams, Insecurity, and Neglect Could Lead to Collapse in Weeks. Residents and Tourists Await Urgent Solutions to Imminent Chaos.
Behind the shine of inaugurations and promises of progress, a scene of imminent chaos threatens the Southern Bypass of the Tamoios Highway.
This grand project, which consumed more than R$ 3 billion and was designed to solve traffic between Caraguatatuba and São Sebastião, could turn into a logistical nightmare.
With increasing traffic jams and the high season approaching, the risks of collapse challenge the efficiency expectations that have been widely advertised.
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The warning did not come from a technical expert, but from the mayor of São Sebastião, Felipe Augusto (PSDB).
According to him, the planning and execution issues in integrating the new highway with the municipal road system are already causing daily traffic jams and putting the safety of pedestrians and cyclists at risk.
“The construction is fantastic, but the connection with the municipality’s road system is a mess,” stated the mayor in an interview with TV Record.
A Grand Project Under Threat
The Southern Bypass of the Tamoios Highway, inaugurated at the end of November 2024, connects kilometer 11 of the highway, at the entrance of Caraguatatuba, to kilometer 33, in São Sebastião.
With 23 kilometers in length and three tunnels in each direction, the project was designed to reduce travel time between the cities from 45 to just 16 minutes.
The responsible concessionaire, Tamoios Consortium, announced improvements such as a maximum speed of 80 km/h on the new route, much higher than the limit of 40 to 60 km/h on the old stretch, which is full of traffic lights and bumps.
Additionally, the implementation of an automatic toll system promises more agility to traffic.
However, despite the announced advantages, the failures in planning and integrating the construction into the local road system are causing a crisis.
Traffic jams have become frequent, exacerbated by the increase in vehicle flow during warm periods, when tourists flock to the North Coast.
Traffic Jams and Safety Risks
According to Felipe Augusto, the situation is a direct result of the inaction of the Tamoios Consortium, which manages the highway.
“We pointed out the problems and suggested solutions that were approved but not executed. Now we are seeing chaos set in”, lamented the mayor.
In addition to heavy traffic, another critical point is the lack of safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the connection areas between the Southern Bypass and the urban road system.
Without urgent improvements, the risks of accidents increase exponentially, especially with the arrival of summer and school holidays.
Felipe Augusto also emphasizes that the ferry system, essential for transportation between the cities of the North Coast, is also facing overload.
“With the summer season, we will have millions of visitors in the region. This could lead to the collapse of traffic and the ferry system,” he warned.
History of Delays and Billion-Dollar Investments
The saga of the Southern Bypass began in 2013, during the government of Geraldo Alckmin, when the project was announced as a definitive solution for traffic in the North Coast.
The works, however, were marked by interruptions and delays.
Interrupted in 2018, construction only resumed in 2021, already under the management of the Tamoios Consortium.
The total cost exceeded R$ 3 billion, a significant investment that has not yet delivered the expected benefits to the population.
The Northern stretch of the Bypass, which connects Caraguatatuba to Ubatuba, was inaugurated in December 2023.
Although it improved traffic flow in that region, the same integration issues were also reported, highlighting a systemic failure in the planning of the works.
Electronic Toll: Progress or Obstacle?
One of the innovations of the Southern Bypass is the free-flow electronic toll system, which dispenses with booths and barriers.
Drivers pay R$ 5 via an electronic tag or, in its absence, check the debt through the concessionaire’s app or website.
Although the measure promises fluidity, drivers without tags report difficulties in accessing payment information.
This generates complaints and, in some cases, can discourage the use of the highway, transferring some traffic back to the old route.
The Impact of the High Season on the Tamoios Highway
With the arrival of summer, the North Coast is preparing to welcome up to 3 million visitors. This intense movement further exacerbates the bottlenecks of the Southern Bypass and the impact on urban traffic.
The state government has been pressing the Tamoios Consortium for solutions to be implemented before the situation spirals out of control.
However, without immediate action, what should be an advancement could become a symbol of inefficiency.
The future of the Southern Bypass will depend on quick and effective decisions. The question remains: will the region’s infrastructure support the exponential increase in demand in the coming months?
A situação é complexa e não terá uma solução em curto prazo. Uma solução paliativa para o período próximo de natal, réveillon e férias escolares será um acordo da prefeitura com a concessionária para que a pista sentido são sebastião-caraguá seja bloqueada, permanecendo liberada somente a pista sentido caraguá-são sebastião. Durante esse período quem for para caraguá deverá voltar a utilizar o antigo trajeto (SP-55).