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Expansion Works on MG-290 Advance Between Borda da Mata and Jacutinga, with Over R$ 15 Million Invested, 1.3 Thousand Jobs Created, Accelerated Earthworks, Lowered Critical Curve, and Urban Roundabout Reshaping Traffic by the First Half of 2026, Promising Fewer Accidents, Faster Trips, and Strengthened Commerce.
Since August 2025, MG-290 has been experiencing intense construction activities with machinery, trucks, and teams in the sections between Borda da Mata and Jacutinga, in South Minas. The expansion package, managed by the EPR Sul de Minas concessionaire and regulated by Artemig, totals over R$ 15 million and is already boosting the creation of around 1.3 thousand direct and indirect jobs in the region.
With earthworks above 50% completed and a forecast for completion by the first half of 2026, the project aims to make MG-290 safer, faster and ready for the increase in freight and passenger traffic. The interventions range from correcting a critical curve in Borda da Mata to reorganizing urban traffic in Jacutinga, focusing on reducing accidents, shortening travel time, and strengthening the local economy.
Expansion Works on MG-290 Change the Landscape of South Minas
MG-290 is now one of the main routes in South Minas, connecting cities with strong commercial, textile, industrial, and agricultural vocations.
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The growth of truck and passenger car traffic has exposed historical bottlenecks of MG-290, with narrow lanes, risky passing points, and congested urban sections.
The response came with the package of works initiated in 2025. The EPR Sul de Minas concessionaire intensified earthworks along MG-290, adapting the soil to the new layout, future lanes, and safety devices.
More than half of this phase has already been executed, paving the way for the structural phase of the highway, with paving and finishing.
Technical teams from Artemig monitor the service fronts in the field, maintaining ongoing dialogue with the concessionaire and neighboring communities.
The so-called “active listening” allows for adjusting details of the MG-290 project to technical standards and the demands of residents and drivers, seeking a balance between fluidity, safety, and urban impact.
Dangerous Curve in Borda da Mata Gets a Safer Layout
In Borda da Mata, the focus is on the curve located between kilometers 37 and 38 of MG-290, classified as a critical section due to its unfavorable geometry and limited visibility.
About 60% of the interventions at this point on MG-290 have already been completed, with the curvature softened to expand the driver’s field of vision.
In addition to the new design, the work includes an additional protection package. Metal barriers are being installed to reduce the impact in case of going off the road, reflective studs to enhance visibility in rainy nights, and a new horizontal signaling, with clearer markings for lanes and shoulders.
The expectation is that this set of measures will consistently reduce the risk of head-on collisions and off-road incidents on MG-290, especially on rainy or foggy days, when the lack of visibility has always been cited by drivers as a serious problem.
Extended Roundabout in Jacutinga Organizes Flow and Protects Pedestrians
In Jacutinga, the works are concentrated in the urban section of MG-290, between kilometers 87 and 89. An extended roundabout is being implemented to organize the meeting between local traffic and the long-distance flow of MG-290, reducing conflicts between vehicles crossing the city and those merely using the highway as a passage corridor.
Earthworks for this roundabout have already exceeded 55% progress, allowing for better-defined entrances and exits.
The project also provides for two elevated pedestrian crossings of the Safety Box type, new lighting points and reinforcement of vertical and horizontal signage, with special attention to the safety of those crossing the street on foot or by bicycle.
With this, the expectation is for a lower average speed of vehicles within the urban perimeter of Jacutinga, fewer sudden braking, and a lower risk of accidents, especially during peak hours when local traffic and that of MG-290 overlap forcefully.
Fewer Accidents and Faster Trips on MG-290
The expansion of capacity and targeted interventions at critical points should bring direct benefits to those who rely on MG-290 daily. With wider lanes, redesigned curves, and more organized crossings, the projection is for a decrease in the number of accidents and reduction in travel time between cities in South Minas connected by the highway.
For the transportation of agricultural, textile, and industrial goods, MG-290 tends to become more predictable and competitive, with fewer unexpected stops and less congestion in urban stretches or dangerous curves.
This helps to reduce logistics costs, improves deadline compliance, and makes the region more attractive for productive investments.
The chain effect reaches commerce and support services in the region.
The investment of over R$ 15 million and the generation of 1.3 thousand direct and indirect jobs invigorate restaurants, inns, workshops, and stores, which begin to serve both the workers of the works and the growing flow of drivers.
Changes in the Daily Life of Those Who Live and Circulate on MG-290
During the execution of the project, the guideline is to coexist with constant interventions, but without total paralysis of the highway.
Most of the time, traffic on MG-290 is adjusted through stop-and-go operations and point detours, allowing the works to progress without prolonged interruptions of circulation.
For residents in the area, the concessionaire and the public authorities usually promote informative campaigns with temporary signage, notices about alternative routes, and safety guidelines.
The idea is to guide those traveling on foot, by bicycle, or by motorcycle in areas with operating machines and trucks, reducing risky situations during the construction period.
Another frequent question concerns tolls. MG-290 is a state concession highway, and the toll is only charged on segments foreseen in the contract, keeping other sections free of tolls, according to the planning of the government of Minas Gerais and EPR Sul de Minas.
And you, do you believe that the works in Borda da Mata and Jacutinga will truly transform MG-290 into a safer and faster highway for those living and working in South Minas?
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