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Immersed Tunnel Project Between Santos and Guarujá Generates Tension in the Macuco Neighborhood, Where Families Fear Losing Their Homes and Ferry Operators See the End of a Century-Old Crossing
Some residents of José do Patrocínio Street, in the Macuco neighborhood, Santos, are facing a dilemma that goes beyond public works. They are on the planned route for the construction of access roads to the future tunnel between Santos and Guarujá. Even with promises of progress, there is fear, uncertainty, and outrage.
It’s Not Against the Tunnel. It’s Against the Location
Alcione Alves Rocha, 54, leads the Macuco Community Association and tries to clarify the reason for the resistance. She, who lives in one of the 65 properties threatened with expropriation, is direct: “We are not against this work. But the ideal location is not here.”
The tunnel, promised for decades, now has a defined project. The bidding document was released at the end of February, with the presence of President Lula and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. The project is estimated at R$ 5.96 billion. Of this total, R$ 4.96 billion will come from a partnership between state and federal governments.
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Thousands of houses in Brazil have slabs and pillars concreted with construction site mixers, and most owners are unaware that, without strict control of the dosage, this can compromise the structure’s strength and create risks that only appear years later, according to engineers and technical standards.
The concession auction is scheduled for August. The expectation is that the works will begin in 2026 and end in 2028. The project will be Brazil’s first immersed tunnel, with precast pieces assembled in a dry dock and then installed at the bottom of the channel.
Despite the political progress, residents of Macuco say they live in limbo. “Macuco is stamped as a tunnel area. No one can invest or renovate. It remains undefined,” says José Santaella, secretary of the neighborhood association. “To say it will receive R$ 2,300 per square meter or a house from Cohab is more than a crime.”
The insecurity is not new. There have been properties for sale in the region since 2013, when discussions about the tunnel intensified. Many do not find buyers.
Sabrina Sales Reis, 45, questions how the expropriation calculation will be made. “They say the number of houses will be defined by drone, according to the number of roofs. But there are roofs that cover five houses. How will it be? The square meter three blocks away is R$ 8,000. Will they pay R$ 2,300 here?”
Impact of the Tunnel on the Ferries and History
Another affected group is the ferry operators. The ferry crossing, using small motorboats, is centuries old. The service has been provided daily since 1907. There are 150 families that depend on this activity.
Fernando Miranda Ramos, president of the Santos and Vicente de Carvalho Ferry Association, states: “We are talking about a century-old service that can end suddenly. The ferry will lose all its value.”
The ferries operate 80 crossing points between Santos and Guarujá. Each boat can carry up to 17 passengers. A ferry and its docking point can be worth R$ 230,000. There are operators who have two points, to work during the day and at night. The fare costs R$ 2.70.
Maximiliano Martins Rodrigues, owner of one of the ferries, says he makes up to 40 trips a day. “There are people here very worried. We don’t know how much, but it will decrease traffic. No authority has come to talk to us about how it will be.”
Other Crossings May Also Be Affected
Besides the ferries, there are other forms of crossing between Santos and Guarujá. One of them is the service operated for 50 years by Barcas Santos-Guarujá. The boats make the route between Ponta da Praia, in Santos, and the Santa Rosa neighborhood in Guarujá. About 5,000 passengers use it daily.
The company states that it will only be possible to assess the impact of the tunnel after the completion of the works. The state government, through SPI (Secretariat for Partnership in Investments), declared that it will continue to provide transportation by ferries and boats.
It also announced planned investments of R$ 1 billion in the acquisition of 48 vessels. There has been no position regarding the ferries.
Progress That Costs Dearly for Some
The tunnel, with an extension of 1.5 km, will have 870 meters submerged. It will have six lanes, three in each direction. One of them may be used by VLT (Light Rail Vehicle). There will be a toll of R$ 6.15 for motorcycles and cars. Bicycles and pedestrians can cross for free. The car crossing should take about two minutes.
For the residents of Macuco, the cost is different. It is the price of uncertainty and the loss of their homes. Luiza Braz, 73, and Lucida Jeronimo, 87, may be removed. They have lived there all their lives.
“I have fought a lot. I decided I won’t go anywhere anymore. I didn’t want to, but if I have to leave my house, I will. I just want to receive what is fair. I am very, very tired,” says Maria Angélica Fernandes, another resident of José do Patrocínio Street.
Project Promised Since 1927
The tunnel between Santos and Guarujá is not a new idea. The first project was announced in 1927. Since then, different governments have presented new versions, including bridges. None advanced.
More skeptical residents do not believe this time will be different. A ferry operator recounted that his father heard about the tunnel for seven decades. Nothing materialized.
Disbelief coexists with anguish. And while the bidding does not happen, the residents of Macuco continue to wait. Without answers. And with fear of what may come.
With information from Santa Portal.
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