The auction was the first federal road license in the Northern region. The highway is considered the most important for the agribusiness in the country.

The Via Brasil BR 163 Consortium, formed by Conasa Infraestrutura, Zetta Infraestrutura e Participações, Construtora Rocha Cavalcante, Engenharia de Materiais, and M4 Investimentos e Participações, won the auction for the concession of the BR-163/230/MT/PA highway system this Thursday afternoon (08), at the Stock Exchange (B3) headquarters in São Paulo.

The more than 1,000-kilometer stretch links the state of Mato Grosso to ports in Pará, between Sinop (MT) and Itaituba (PA). It forms one of the main corridors for the outflow of grain production from the Center-West and the North region, besides the connection to port terminals of the Arco Norte (Tapajós River).

Consortium Via Brasil proposed a tariff of R$ 0.07867 per kilometer, a discount of 8.09% on the initial maximum tariff. The concession project foresees the installation of three toll plazas in Itaúba (MT), Guarantã do Norte (MT) and Trairão (PA), as well as two truck stops and the execution of the accesses to the ports of Miritituba (PA), Itapacurá (PA) and to the port terminal of Santarenzinho (PA).

The federal government's investment forecast is around R$ 1.87 billion. The contract will be for a period of 10 years for the exploitation of the infrastructure and the provision of public services of recovery, operation, maintenance, monitoring, conservation, implementation of improvements and maintenance of services.

"We have studied this project in depth, which is challenging and audacious. But we are already inserted in the state of Mato Grosso, in the operation of three other highways, which brings us understanding and experience in managing the infrastructure of these roads that are fundamental for the flow of Brazilian production and for the competitiveness of the country," said Mario Marcondes Neto, president of Conasa Infraestrutura.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Tarciso de Freitas, emphasized the benefits that the private concession will bring to the locality, both residents of the municipalities that are in the route of the highway and the producers and truck drivers who travel along it. "We are happy because a new group has accepted our demand and has shown itself to be committed to this challenge. It is the first federal highway concession in the North region and the most important highway for agribusiness in the country. The concession will transform the logistics of Brazil, making the producer and the country much more competitive, besides bringing quality of life to the surrounding communities, making a difference in the lives of many people who live there.