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Initiative Seeks Support from the Argentine Government and Federal Ministries to Enable Three New International Connections, a Fundamental Step for the Infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul.
The Vice Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Gabriel Souza, was in Brasília this Friday (27/6) for strategic meetings. He met with the Argentine Ambassador, Guillermo Raimondi, and representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Budget. The main objective was to promote the construction of three new international bridges, connecting the state of Rio Grande do Sul to the neighboring country.
Institutional Dialogue Seeks Support for the Construction of the Crossings
The agenda in Brasília focused on keeping the dialogue active regarding the bridges. Gabriel Souza emphasized that the state government is leading the movement to accelerate the process. The future structures will connect the municipalities of Porto Mauá to Alba Posse, Tiradentes do Sul to El Soberbio, and Itaqui to Alvear.
During the meeting at the embassy, the Vice Governor delivered a letter to Ambassador Raimondi. The document formalizes the request for the diplomat’s support in dialogue with the Argentine federal government regarding the construction of the bridges. In another front, Souza also asked the Ministry of Planning and Budget, through Secretary João Villaverde, for more support in the dialogue with Argentina. The Secretary stated that the Ministry will prioritize the matter.
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Contract with Caixa for the Preliminary Projects
The government of Rio Grande do Sul has already made an important step to bring the projects to fruition. A contract worth R$ 553,000 was signed with Caixa Econômica Federal. The bank will provide support in the preparation of the terms of reference, which are essential for contracting the engineering preliminary projects for the three bridges.
“We are fully willing to start the studies and engineering preliminary projects for the construction of new international bridges,” said the Vice Governor. He highlighted that the collaboration of the Argentine government will be necessary for conducting topographic studies on the Uruguay River.
A Historic Demand to Resolve Infrastructure Bottlenecks
Currently, the Rio Grande do Sul has only two operational bridges with Argentina: in São Borja and Uruguaiana. A third, in Porto Xavier, is in an advanced stage of contracting. The new crossings are an old demand and resolve historical issues.
In Porto Mauá, for example, the ferry crossing is constantly interrupted by floods of the Uruguay River. This forces drivers to travel up to 240 kilometers more. In Itaqui, the ferry’s suspension for eight months in 2024 caused significant commercial losses. The need for a bridge in Tiradentes do Sul was already pointed out in a 1993 study, which never progressed due to lack of technical projects.
Next Steps for the Construction and Search for Resources
The state government is leading the arrangements for the construction of the bridges since the end of 2024. With the contract signed with Caixa, the schedule foresees the following steps:
- Preparation of the terms of reference for the preliminary projects;
- Bidding for the companies that will undertake the projects for the three bridges;
- Submission of the finalized preliminary projects to the Union.
The expectation is that the preliminary projects will be completed in the next two years. With the studies ready, the state will be better prepared to seek the necessary resources, either from the federal budget or through international financing, to finally initiate the execution of the works.
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