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The works of the contour of Jaraguá do Sul on BR-280 cut hills with a double tunnel of a thousand meters on Morro do Vieira and raise viaducts at 35 meters at km 64 and 65, in a route of 24 km with more than 77% completed and an investment of R$ 985 million that promises to reduce the journey to 14 minutes.
Santa Catarina is literally drilling through hills to construct the contour of Jaraguá do Sul, a 24 km stretch of the duplication of BR-280 that is part of lot 2.2 of the works and will transform the experience of those traveling through the North of the state. The new route that cuts through hills in the region passes through the municipalities of Jaraguá do Sul, Guaramirim, and Schroeder, combining a double tunnel of approximately one thousand meters in length, viaducts raised to 35 meters in height, and bridges over rivers to create a duplicated lane where today traffic faces bottlenecks on a winding road nestled between natural elevations. With more than 77% of the work completed, the estimate is that the complete journey along the new route will take approximately 14 minutes at an average speed of 100 km/h.
The investment in the stretch that drills through hills and raises structures over valleys has already surpassed R$ 985 million. The viaducts under construction at km 64 and 65 of Jaraguá do Sul, which will allow for crossing at different levels without interfering with the natural terrain of the hills, account for more than R$ 100 million of this total, while the double tunnel of Morro do Vieira at km 66, between Jaraguá do Sul and Schroeder, consumes R$ 228 million. These are numbers that reveal the complexity of carving a path through a geography that for decades imposed sharp curves, steep climbs, and limited visibility on one of the most important highways in the Northern region of Santa Catarina.
What is the double tunnel being excavated in the hills of BR-280
The tunnel of Morro do Vieira is the most impressive structure of the contour of Jaraguá do Sul. Each of the two galleries will be about one thousand meters long, with independent lanes and concrete pavement, a configuration that allows simultaneous traffic in both directions without sharing a lane, a safety standard that single-gallery tunnels do not offer. Excavation in the hills has already surpassed 80% completion in the stretch between Schroeder and Jaraguá do Sul, and DNIT teams are currently working on the accesses to the structure, a stage that prepares the tunnel’s entrances and exits to receive the final pavement.
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The investment of R$ 228 million in the tunnel reflects the technical difficulty of drilling through hills composed of rock and soil that require geological treatment for each meter advanced. Unlike works on flat terrain, where machines operate with predictability, the excavation of hills for the opening of a road tunnel involves constant analysis of the stability of the rocky mass, wall containment, drainage of groundwater, and ventilation of the construction site, processes that increase the cost of each linear meter but result in a highway that crosses the obstacle instead of circumventing it. For drivers who today face the curves around the hills of BR-280, the tunnel will represent time savings and safety gains that justify every real invested.
The viaducts at 35 meters high that are changing the landscape of Jaraguá do Sul
At km 64 and 65 of BR-280, elevated structures are being built to allow the new route to cross valleys and depressions without needing to descend to the level of the natural terrain. The viaducts reach 35 meters in height at their highest points, a dimension that places drivers practically at the height of a 12-story building while crossing over the rugged terrain that characterizes the hill region in Northern Santa Catarina. The investment of over R$ 100 million in the elevated structures includes deep foundations, reinforced concrete pillars, and the launching of beams that form the platform on which the lane will be paved.
The current phase of the construction on the viaducts is the launching of the beams, a stage considered essential for the formation of the elevated platform. Each beam needs to be positioned with millimeter precision over the pillars, an operation that involves large cranes and specialized teams working dozens of meters above the ground. The result, when completed, will be a duplicated lane that flies over the landscape of the hills without the curves and inclinations that the topography would impose on a conventional highway, an engineering solution that transforms geographical limitation into operational advantage.
What is already ready in the new layout that cuts through hills on BR-280
A significant part of the contour structures has already been delivered. In Guaramirim, the intersection at km 51, the overpass at km 52, and another intersection at km 53 are completed, sections that already allow visualization of how the final layout will function when all parts connect. Between Schroeder and Jaraguá do Sul, the bridge over the Itapocuzinho River at km 61 has also been completed, a structure that integrates the set of works necessary for the duplicated lane to cross both hills and watercourses without interruptions.
The 77% overall progress of the works indicates that most of the heavy work has been completed. The excavations on the hills, the foundations of the viaducts, and the main drainage and containment structures are done or in the final phase, and what remains are finishing stages, paving, and signaling that, although time-consuming, do not involve the same degree of technical complexity as drilling rock or erecting 35-meter pillars. DNIT monitors the progress and periodically updates the schedule, but the expectation is that the Jaraguá do Sul contour will be delivered in the coming years as one of the most modern road sections in Santa Catarina.
What changes for those traveling on BR-280 when the works in the hills are completed
The transformation will be radical. Where today the driver faces a single-lane road winding between hills with curves that limit speed and visibility, the new layout will offer a duplicated lane with a one-thousand-meter tunnel that crosses the Morro do Vieira in a straight line, viaducts that soar over valleys at 35 meters high, and grade-separated intersections that eliminate dangerous crossings. The estimated 14 minutes to cover the 24 km of the contour at 100 km/h represents a significant gain compared to the current time, which includes constant braking, speed reductions in curves, and waiting at traffic conflict points.
For Northern Santa Catarina, the Jaraguá do Sul contour is an investment in economic competitiveness as much as in road safety. BR-280 connects the industrial region of Joinville and Jaraguá do Sul to the rest of the state and to the Port of São Francisco do Sul, and every minute saved in truck traffic translates to reduced logistical costs for industries that rely on the highway to transport production. The hills that for decades were an obstacle are being converted into passage, and when the last meter of asphalt is applied over the last beam of the last viaduct, BR-280 will be another highway.
And you, have you traveled through the hills of BR-280 before the works? Do you think the investment of nearly R$ 1 billion will be worth it? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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