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After years of standstill, the stretch connecting Arujá to Dutra and Fernão Dias enters its final phase with delivery scheduled for 2025
The Northern Section of the Mário Covas Beltway, one of the most ambitious road projects in the country, is entering the final stretch after decades of waiting. Scheduled for completion in September 2025, the new stage is expected to remove up to 30 trucks per day from the Marginal Tietê, reducing bottlenecks in São Paulo's traffic and directly connecting the country's main highways to Guarulhos International Airport.
The direct impact of the Rodoanel on mobility in São Paulo
After almost 30 years of promises and stoppages, the construction of the Northern Section of the Rodoanel is finally moving forward at a fast pace. The work is essential for the mobility of São Paulo, as it completes the ring road that surrounds the city and will remove from urban roads vehicles that only cross the capital without having a final destination there. According to Artesp (São Paulo State Transportation Agency), the work includes 44 km of roads with three to four lanes in each direction, viaducts, tunnels and direct connections with highways such as Dutra and Fernão Dias.
This change has the potential to transform the reality of traffic in the metropolitan region. The forecast is that the flow on the Tietê and Pinheiros highways will be significantly reduced, benefiting not only drivers from São Paulo but also interstate cargo traffic. Data from BNDES indicate that full operation of the stretch could reduce travel time between highways by up to 27 minutes, in addition to removing 54 cars from the Marginal Tietê daily.
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Northern section of Rodoanel connects São Paulo to important logistics hubs
The new road segment is particularly strategic because it integrates national logistics. It directly connects the Presidente Dutra Highway, which links São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, and Fernão Dias, the main link to Belo Horizonte. In addition, it includes a 3,6 km branch line providing exclusive access to Guarulhos International Airport, the largest in South America in terms of cargo movement, according to data from Infraero.
This stretch, which passes through the municipalities of Arujá, Guarulhos and the northern part 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 should benefit the Port of Santos, the agricultural belt of southern Minas Gerais and interstate transport to the North and Northeast.
Billion-dollar investment to modernize São Paulo's road infrastructure
According to Artesp, the total investment for the completion of the Northern Section is $ 3,4 billion. The project includes everything from paving with high-resistance asphalt to 107 special works of art — such as bridges, viaducts and double tunnels. In addition, there are 20 wildlife crossings, automated traffic systems, smart signage and State Highway Police posts.
The project is divided into two large sections. The first, which runs from Presidente Dutra to Fernão Dias, is already 31,36% complete and is expected to be completed by September 2025. The second, which runs to Avenida Raimundo Pereira de Magalhães, in the northwest of São Paulo, is expected to be completed in 2026. According to the concessionaire Via SP Serra, more than 1.800 workers are simultaneously working on the excavation, paving and tunnel construction fronts.
The resumption of construction and the new deadlines defined by Via SP Serra
Construction of the Rodoanel Norte officially began in 2013, but faced years of interruptions due to contractual failures and lack of funds. The project gained new momentum in April 2024 with the entry of Via SP Serra, an arm of Via Paulista, which took over the responsibility to complete the work. The concessionaire began work before the contractual deadline and has already made significant progress in strategic lots such as 6 (Arujá) and 4 (São Paulo and Guarulhos).
The new management implemented 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 Highway, around 90% of Section 1, will be completed by 2025, according to an updated report by Artesp published in January 2025.
