São Paulo surprises the world with a billion-dollar project of R$ 4.2 billion: Brazil's first submerged tunnel will be 1.5 km long, with 870 meters underwater, and promises to end the historic dependence on ferries between Santos and Guarujá.

São Paulo surprises the world with a billion-dollar project of R$ 4.2 billion: Brazil’s first submerged tunnel will be 1.5 km long, with 870 meters underwater, and promises to end the historic dependence on ferries between Santos and Guarujá.

Written by Alisson Ficher

Published on 17/05/2026 at 19:52

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Billion-dollar project promises to transform mobility between Santos and Guarujá with Brazil’s first submerged crossing, including passage for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and LRT in an unprecedented dry connection under the Santos Port channel.

The Port Authority of Santos has authorized the opening of a temporary and exclusive account to concentrate public funds allocated to the Santos-Guarujá Tunnel, an unprecedented project in the country that will create a dry connection of 1.5 km between the two cities, including 870 meters submerged under the port channel.

Treated for decades as one of the main demands of the Baixada Santista, the project plans to accommodate vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and LRT, as well as gradually reduce dependence on the ferry system that currently handles a significant portion of the crossing between Santos and Guarujá.

Exclusive account guarantees funds for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel

The opening of the account meets governance requirements pointed out by the Federal Court of Accounts, which requested stricter control mechanisms over the federal funds allocated to the project, especially after discussions about the financial management of the future dry connection.

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What the first submerged tunnel in Brazil will be like

The immersed tunnel was designed to accommodate three lanes in each direction, as well as an exclusive space for the LRT and areas designated for pedestrians and cyclists, enhancing urban mobility integration between the two municipalities of the Baixada Santista.

At the same time, the new structure aims to reduce historical bottlenecks of the crossing and directly impact the logistics of the Port of Santos, as the permanent connection between the channel’s banks could reorganize urban and operational displacements in the port region.

After the approval of the concession process in 2025, the PPP contract was officially signed in 2026, consolidating one of the largest urban and port infrastructure initiatives planned for the São Paulo coast in the coming years.

Responsible for winning the concession auction, Mota-Engil will be in charge of executing and operating the system within the model established by the public authorities and the agencies responsible for the partnership.

Updated investment and project schedule

Although the title mentions R$ 4.2 billion, the project’s official website presents an updated value of R$ 6.8 billion in investments, consolidating the project as one of the largest mobility and infrastructure interventions currently planned in the state of São Paulo.

The public schedule records an investment of R$ 5.13 billion, divided between the Government of São Paulo and the Union, with an approximate participation of R$ 2.7 billion for each of the parties involved in the financing.

At this moment, the project is in the technical preparation phase, development of complementary studies, and operational preparation for the start of the interventions planned in the official schedule presented by the authorities responsible for the future submerged crossing.

According to the disclosed plan, initial works are expected to begin in 2027, including the mobilization of sites, preliminary dredging, and construction of the dry dock, a structure considered essential for the manufacturing of the modules used in the tunnel’s implementation.

Subsequently, the production of concrete modules is expected to occur in 2028, while the immersion and assembly stages are scheduled for 2029, preceding the final phase of operational systems and technical tests planned for the following year.

The commercial operation of the Santos-Guarujá Tunnel is scheduled for 2031, a period in which the dry connection is expected to function as a permanent alternative to the ferries and longer road routes currently used between the two cities.

São Paulo surprises the world with a billion-dollar project of R$ 4.2 billion: Brazil’s first submerged tunnel will be 1.5 km long, with 870 meters underwater, and promises to end the historic dependence on ferries between Santos and Guarujá.

Billion-dollar project promises to transform mobility between Santos and Guarujá with Brazil’s first submerged crossing, including passage for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and LRT in an unprecedented dry connection under the Santos Port channel.

Exclusive account guarantees funds for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel

What the first submerged tunnel in Brazil will be like

Updated investment and project schedule

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São Paulo surprises the world with a billion-dollar project of R$ 4.2 billion: Brazil’s first submerged tunnel will be 1.5 km long, with 870 meters underwater, and promises to end the historic dependence on ferries between Santos and Guarujá.

Billion-dollar project promises to transform mobility between Santos and Guarujá with Brazil’s first submerged crossing, including passage for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and LRT in an unprecedented dry connection under the Santos Port channel.

Exclusive account guarantees funds for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel

What the first submerged tunnel in Brazil will be like

Updated investment and project schedule

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