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State Government Announces Investments in Paving Projects, but Most Projects Cover Only Part of the Highways, Leaving Segments Isolated and Raising Doubts About the Integration and Efficiency of Interventions.
The start of a new cycle of public investments in road infrastructure marked the announcement by the State Government, made through an extra edition of the Official Gazette published on June 30, 2025.
The official forecast is for R$ 532 million in investments to pave sections of four state highways and ensure access to Arauco’s future pulp mill in Inocência.
The actions, mostly funded by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), are expected to bring new asphalt to 131 kilometers of roads.
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However, most of the projects only cover parts of the highways, leaving unfinished or isolated segments.
Paving Works: New Segments and BNDES Resources
According to the portal Correio do Estado, the same edition of the Official Gazette revealed the opening of a bidding process to pave 38 kilometers in lot three of MS-316, connecting Inocência to Chapadão do Sul.
This segment has an investment of up to R$ 146 million, also coming from BNDES.
However, the other two remaining lots of this 110-kilometer highway are still in the project preparation phase, with bidding expected only for next year, according to information from the State Agency for Enterprise Management (Agesul).
When combining the bids published in both the normal and extra editions of the Official Gazette, the total announced for highway works exceeds R$ 678 million, with over R$ 650 million coming from federal funding.
The highlight of this bidding package is the recurrence of projects that only pave specific segments, often resulting in paved roads that end far from urban centers or logistics integration points, a scenario that has caught the attention of experts and local residents.
Investments in Highways and Regional Impact
Among the initiatives included in the extra edition, the paving of 54 kilometers of MS-355, connecting Terenos to Dois Irmãos do Buriti, stands out, with an allocation of up to R$ 232,584,815.03.
This project is the only one among the five main ones that envisions the full paving of the highway, facilitating movement and shortening the distance between Campo Grande and Dois Irmãos do Buriti by 28 kilometers — from 115 km to 87 km upon completion of the works.
Furthermore, the connection favors access from Campo Grande to cities such as Nioaque, Jardim, and Bonito, as MS-347, between Dois Irmãos do Buriti and Nioaque, is also undergoing paving.
Despite the announcement of bids, the winning companies will still need to develop the basic and executive project for the works, even after bidding processes launched in 2024 for this purpose.
The proposals for most of these works are scheduled to be opened on September 29, a year after the release of BNDES resources.
Ongoing Bids and Isolated Segments
Other announced bids foresee investments of up to R$ 101.9 million for the paving of 23 kilometers of MS-134, a highway that connects MS-040 to BR-267, near the Casa Verde district.
The government argues that this road will be strategic to meet the future interests of Bracell’s pulp mill in Bataguassu.
However, the paving will cover less than a third of the total highway, which is about 82 kilometers long, with no defined deadline for completing the remaining segments.
Another relevant project published in the Official Gazette plans to invest up to R$ 91.4 million in paving 31 kilometers of MS-245, connecting BR-163 to MS-338, in the municipalities of Bandeirantes and Ribas do Rio Pardo.
The bidding, scheduled for July 18, only covers one of the four lots planned.
The first stage, of 15 kilometers, has already been executed, leaving two other segments that together total approximately 35 kilometers.
The same situation occurs with MS-244, with a bidding forecast for only an initial segment of 23 kilometers, costing up to R$ 79.5 million.
This highway connects MS-080, in the municipality of Corguinho, to the Taboco district.
To finalize the complete asphalt connection, paving of another 23 kilometers would be necessary, still without a bidding forecast.
Industrial Access and Works in Different Regions
In addition to the works funded by BNDES, the State Government envisions up to R$ 26.9 million in investment, with its own resources, for two accesses to Arauco’s pulp mill in Inocência, located along the banks of the Sucuriú River.
The execution of these works aims to facilitate production flow and improve local logistics.
According to information released at the end of March, at least two projects already have bidding processes in progress in the Inocência region, funded by BNDES.
One highlight is the paving of 63 kilometers of MS-320, which will connect MS-377 to BR-158, facilitating access between Inocência and Três Lagoas.
The investment can reach R$ 276 million, and the responsible company will have to develop the executive project for the segment.
Unlike other projects, this segment is expected to be fully paved.
Another highlight is the bidding for the paving of 17 kilometers of MS-444, near Selvíria, budgeted at R$ 39.9 million.
To prevent the asphalt from ending in isolated areas, another 30 kilometers remain to be completed to ensure the total completion of the road.
Paving in the South of the State and Logistical Challenges
In the far south of the state, investments also reach the paving of highways.
The forecast is for R$ 106.1 million for 32 kilometers of MS-289, in the municipality of Amambai, half of what is needed for interconnection with MS-180.
Additionally, two bidding processes are underway for more than 36 kilometers of asphalt on MS-380, the highway that connects the rural area of Ponta Porã to BR-436.
Questioning Efficiency and Integration
The concentration of BNDES resources in specific segments, the proximity to the election period, and the publishing of bidding packages in extraordinary editions of the Official Gazette spark debates about the criteria for choice and priorities of the interventions.
Experts and residents question the fact that many paved segments end “in the middle of nowhere”, without a direct connection to urban or logistical centers.
The notices mostly establish the need for subsequent development of executive projects, which can delay the completion of the works and prolong the use of public resources on still incomplete road segments.
Given the situation presented, what impacts could the fragmentation of these works bring to regional development and the efficiency of public resource use in infrastructure?
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