TCE Approves Resumption of Construction on the Gávea Metro
The State Court of Accounts (TCE) of Rio de Janeiro unanimously approved the resumption of construction on the Gávea metro, a awaited step that promises to give new direction to one of the city’s major urban mobility hurdles. The work, halted since 2015, finally received the green light to move forward after the signing of a Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) between the state government, the MetrôRio concessionaire, and the Public Ministry.
Imagine a project that seems never-ending. Indeed, the construction of the Gávea metro fits this description perfectly. Since 2015, when work was interrupted, the Carioca population has been eagerly awaiting a solution to this impasse. But now, with the recent approval from TCE, it seems that the hole will finally be filled and excavations will come to life once again. Of course, we still have to wait a little longer – about 60 days for the actual start – because of the bureaucracy involved, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel, or better yet, at the station.
The Next Steps for the Construction of the Gávea Metro
The agreement stipulates that the MetrôRio concessionaire will take responsibility for investing around R$ 600 million in the construction, while the state government will bear R$ 97 million. This amount will be allocated to completing the Gávea station and operationalizing a section that will connect the Gávea and São Conrado stations. Although the original project was more ambitious, the current version will be scaled back, but still promises to ease traffic and improve public transport in the area.
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A 30 m² pine wood house costs R$ 20,000 for the raw structure and can be completed for less than R$ 50,000 with assembly and basic finishes: this quick construction promises to deliver in weeks what conventional masonry would take much longer to complete.
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The Joinville Bridge, the municipality’s main mobility project, will have a 160-meter central span over Babitonga Bay without a pillar in the river’s course.
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Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.
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Russia will build 10 facilities for recycling construction waste by 2030, including a 462,000-ton-per-year plant in the Kirov region that will transform rubble into laminated wood panels in the largest project of its kind ever planned in the country.
The concession of lines 1, 2, and 4 of the metro will be unified, extending the MetrôRio contract until 2048. This new arrangement includes a series of guarantees so that the construction proceeds without further setbacks.
Impacts on the Region and the Long Journey of the ‘Tatuzão’
The situation at the Gávea station is critical, especially with the flooded tunnels and a structural risk that has been concerning since 2017. The famous “tatuzão,” equipment used in excavations, is still parked under Alto Leblon, awaiting its fate. There are rumors that it could be repurposed for other projects or even dismantled, but nothing has been decided yet. In any case, its maintenance has incurred high costs for the state, prompting many to wonder: what will happen to the tatuzão?
Next Conclusion? Perhaps…
Despite all the progress, the expectation is that the construction of the Gávea station will be completed in about two years, following the approval of the agreement in court. The Carioca population, especially those from the South Zone, has become accustomed to delays, but there is a certain optimism in the air. The return of the works promises to solve mobility issues and improve the quality of life for those who depend on the metro.
Now, we can only hope that everything goes as planned and that the tatuzão finally reaches its conclusion – whether it be in the depths of Leblon or in some new excavation across Brazil.
With all this in mind, will the Gávea metro finally come to fruition, or are we facing yet another never-ending saga of civil construction in Rio? What do you think?

Rio de janeiro é uma piada, tudo na cidade e demorado e quando não muito é maquiado, é tanti a desvio de dinheiro na cara de **** né? E o carioca acha bonita a fama de malandro, vai pagar o preço até quando?!
Podia é levar o metro para o meier,cascadura,bonsucesso,outros bairros muito+importante q a gavea