The new Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, on the BR-226, between the states of Tocantins and Maranhão, will be inaugurated next Monday (22), a year after the collapse of part of the old structure.
The collapse that occurred on December 22, 2024 left 14 dead and three missing, according to the Brazilian Navy, and caused logistical chaos in the region.
Without the bridge between the municipalities of Aguiarnópolis (TO) and Estreito (MA), the crossing of the Tocantins River began to be carried out by ferry throughout this year. The emergency operation helped reconnect cities, but drivers faced long queues.
“There are trucks waiting in line for 16 hours, 15 hours. The guy spends the whole night there,” says businessman Tiago Wendler.
He owns a company that sells truck parts and accessories in Estreito. According to Tiago, suppliers in the South region have stopped sending goods to the municipality of Maranhão.
To facilitate access to freight, Tiago opened a branch of his company in Araguaína (TO). “We looked for financing, working capital, so as not to go bankrupt, because the situation is very tense,” he specifies.
“This year we have not recorded a profit, every month has been a loss, but we have not laid off a single employee. And we are optimistic about the new bridge so that the movement can return to normal,” he adds.
In September, the Dnit (National Department of Transport Infrastructure) reported that the average daily flow on emergency-installed ferries was around 950 motorcycles, 1,150 cars and 350 trucks.
The Ministry of Transport confirmed this Friday (19) that the portfolio holder, Minister Renan Filho, will participate on Monday in the delivery of the new crossing, called new JK bridge by the government.
Measuring 630 meters, the new bridge has two lanes, a shoulder, protective barriers and a pedestrian crossing. The federal government claims to have invested nearly 172 million reais in the work carried out by Dnit.
The ministry said on December 12 that the project was 95% complete. The remaining structure of the old bridge imploded in February.
THE POPULATION HAS SUFFERED A LOT, SAYS THE LAWYER
With the logistical difficulties of recent months, companies have closed their doors, while others have moved or opened branches to carry out their activities in other municipalities, according to lawyer Melissa Fachinello, legal advisor of Acisape, the business association of Estreito.
“The population suffered a lot,” he said. “I just haven’t moved because I’m very optimistic and because we can still sustain ourselves, but many companies are in the red right now,” he adds.
Estreito Mayor Leo Cunha (PL) says the main economic impact for the city occurred shortly after the bridge collapsed, as commerce prepared for Christmas 2024.
“Everyone was structured to sell a lot, and that didn’t happen at the time. So, a lot of people were shaken,” underlines the manager, who says he expects a recovery from Christmas 2025.
“Integration between municipalities is coming back. I think we now have momentum.”
The population of Estreito is estimated at 34.3 thousand inhabitants, according to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). This is a larger contingent than that planned for Aguiarnópolis (4,502 people).
THE Leaf asked the municipal council of the city of Tocantins about the impacts of the bridge collapse, but received no response.
PF INDICATED THE POINTED OVERLOAD AS A POSSIBLE REASON FOR FALL
In July, a federal police investigation revealed that the possible cause of the collapse was overloading the old structure.
According to the agency’s report, the drop may have been caused by vehicle traffic that was unpredictably higher than expected, both in quantity and size.
The PF said the bridge may have lost structural strength, with concrete degradation due to physicochemical processes, a scenario that could have been worsened by lack of maintenance.
The technicians also pointed out that when the old crossing was inaugurated, a typical truck weighed around 20 tonnes and today trains weighing up to 70 tonnes are common.
They concluded that the accumulation of vehicles on the road, in the moments before the fall, when the structure was already showing signs of rapidly accelerating its damage, could have contributed to the failure.
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