The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), inaugurated this Monday (22/12), in Arujá, the first section of the Rodoanel Norte, the last loop of the ring road whose construction began in 1998 to connect the highways that connect the cities of the interior and the coast to the capital of São Paulo, thus reducing truck traffic on the sides of the roads.
During his speech, Tarcísio spoke about the delay in the delivery of each of the four sections of the Rodoanel and highlighted that the Northern section, awarded in 2013, under the administration of former Governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), current Vice President of the Republic, was delayed for almost 13 years due to corruption investigated by Operation Lava Jato.
“This work encountered a huge problem, the problem of corruption. A wound that torments Brazil. We were confronted here and saw here Operation Lava Jato, from those governments that had become accustomed to living off corruption. And that is why this work was stopped, because of Lava Jato, because of corruption,” Tarcísio said.
The governor spoke shortly after the president of the BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, who was booed by the public when he praised the achievements of the Lula government (PT) and requested that the name of the Federal Development Bank be included on the plaque inaugurating the works. According to Mercadante, BNDES lent 1.3 billion reais for the construction.
Work resumed in 2023, the first year of the Tarcísio government, thanks to a concession contract signed with Via Appia Concessões. To complete the missing section of the 44-kilometer highway, the concessionaire hired Consórcio Cantareira, headed by Odebrecht, the main contractor implicated in the corruption scandals investigated by Lava Jato.
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During his speech, André Barnabé, CEO of Artesp, the agency that oversees the road concessions, said “congratulations to Odebrecht” for carrying out the work. “Odebrechet, next year we will deliver the last section to Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, and then we will carry out the metro works in Jardim Ângela,” he said.
The Rodoanel Norte should have been ready in 2016, but was stopped in 2018, after the main construction companies involved in the work went bankrupt following allegations of corruption, such as OAS and Mendes Júnior – Odebrecht was not included in the original contract for the project.
That year, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) denounced 14 people, including directors of Dersa, the former São Paulo public company responsible for the works, for an alleged scheme that embezzled 625 million reais from the works.
Partial opening of Rodoanel Norte
Almost 13 years after the start of work, the first section of the Rodoanel Norte was inaugurated by Tarcísio this Monday and will be put into circulation from this Tuesday (23/12). 24 kilometers long, the new stage will connect the Fernão Dias and Presidente Dutra highways, in addition to connecting the eastern section of the Rodoanel, at the Ayrton Senna highway, to São Paulo.
The total investment in the project since the resumption of work is approximately R$3.4 billion, including R$1.35 billion of public resources and approximately R$2 billion contributed by Via Áppia. On the other hand, due to delays, the project costs more than 600 million reais.
The works of the Rodoanel Norte continue in the second stage, which goes to the Raimundo Pereira de Magalhães highway, whose total completion is planned for the second half of 2026.
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Marked by abandonments, investigations and changes of dealers, Rodoanel Norte has accumulated delays since 2013 and consumed more than expected
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How Free Flow Works
The Rodoanel Norte will enter service with the Siga Fácil Sem Parar electronic charging system, free flow, a model that replaces traditional toll plazas with electronic gantries. The technology allows vehicles to travel freely on the highway, without the need to stop or reduce speed, paying only for the distance traveled.
Identification is done automatically by reading the vehicle’s license plate or electronic tag, including the number of axles. The system is considered more agile, safer and more economical, as it reduces queues, fuel consumption and the risk of accidents.
The driver will have up to 30 days, from passing through the gate, to pay the fare. Anyone using an electronic label benefits from a 5% reduction, with automatic billing on the operator’s invoice. Drivers without a badge will be able to view and pay the rate through the dealer’s official channels, including the payment portal, the Siga Fácil website and the user service base, located at km 135 of Rodoanel Norte.
Years of delays on Rodoanel Norte
- Construction of the northern section began in 2013.
- Work was halted in 2018 and made no progress for years.
- The initial budget was 4.3 billion reais, but as of 2019, around 6.85 billion reais had already been spent.
- The project has become the target of investigations due to suspicions of overcharging and corruption.
- The contractors entered a financial crisis and were eventually declared unsuitable by the union.
- In March 2023, the Via Appia consortium won the auction to complete the work.
- Work resumed in April 2024
- The concessionaire will be responsible for operating the northern part for around thirty years.
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