After Years of Paralysis, Section Connecting Arujá to Dutra and Fernão Dias Enters Final Phase with Delivery Expected for 2025
The North Section of the Mário Covas Ring Road, one of the country’s most ambitious road projects, is entering the final stretch after decades of waiting. With delivery expected for September 2025, the new phase is set to remove up to 30,000 trucks per day from the Marginal Tietê, reducing traffic congestion in São Paulo and directly connecting the main national highways to Guarulhos International Airport.
The Direct Impact of the Ring Road on São Paulo Mobility
After nearly 30 years of promises and interruptions, the construction of the North Section of the Ring Road is finally progressing at an accelerated pace. The project is essential for mobility in São Paulo, as it completes the ring road that circles the city and will remove vehicles that merely cross the capital without a final destination there. According to Artesp (State of São Paulo Transportation Agency), the project includes 44 km of roadways with three to four lanes in each direction, viaducts, tunnels, and direct connections to highways such as Dutra and Fernão Dias.
This change has the potential to transform the traffic situation in the metropolitan area. The forecast is that traffic flow on the Marginal Tietê and Pinheiros will be significantly reduced, benefiting not only drivers in São Paulo but also interstate cargo traffic. Data from BNDES indicates that full operation of the section could reduce travel time between highways by up to 27 minutes, in addition to removing 54,000 vehicles from the Marginal Tietê daily.
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North Section of the Ring Road Connects São Paulo to Important Logistical Hubs
The new road segment is especially strategic as it integrates national logistics. It directly connects the Presidente Dutra Highway, which links São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, and the Fernão Dias Highway, the main connection to Belo Horizonte. Additionally, it includes a 3.6 km branch with exclusive access to Guarulhos International Airport, the largest in South America in terms of cargo movement, according to Infraero data.
This section, which passes through the municipalities of Arujá, Guarulhos, and the northern area of the capital, will be essential for transporting products from the interior of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro without overloading urban traffic. This change is expected to benefit the Port of Santos, the agricultural belt of Southern Minas, and interstate transport heading to the North and Northeast.
Billion-Dollar Investment to Modernize the Road Infrastructure of São Paulo
According to Artesp, the total investment for the completion of the North Section is R$ 3.4 billion. The project includes everything from high-resistance asphalt paving to 107 special works of art — such as bridges, viaducts, and double tunnels. In addition, there are 20 wildlife crossings, automated traffic systems, smart signaling, and State Highway Patrol stations.
The project is divided into two major sections. The first, which runs from Presidente Dutra to Fernão Dias, is already 31.36% completed and is scheduled for delivery by September 2025. The second, extending to Avenida Raimundo Pereira de Magalhães in the northwest area of São Paulo, is expected to be completed in 2026. According to the concessionaire Via SP Serra, over 1,800 workers are simultaneously engaged in excavation, paving, and tunnel construction.
The Resumption of Construction and the New Deadlines Set by Via SP Serra
The construction of the North Ring Road officially began in 2013 but faced years of interruptions due to contractual failures and lack of funding. The project gained new momentum in April 2024 with the entry of Via SP Serra, a branch of Via Paulista, which took on the responsibility for completing the work. The concessionaire started work ahead of the contractual deadline and already shows significant progress in strategic lots such as Lot 6 (Arujá) and Lot 4 (São Paulo and Guarulhos).
The new management has implemented a technical division of the sections, coordinated works by lots, and the use of technologies for traffic control and sustainability. The expectation now is that the segment between the Presidente Dutra Highway and Fernão Dias, about 90% of Section 1, will be completed by 2025, according to an updated report from Artesp published in January 2025.

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