Concessionaire manages the stretch of over 1,000 km between Sinop (MT) and the Port of Miritituba (PA). In addition to increasing safety and improving traffic flow on the highway, the company will offer services such as medical care and tow trucks to users.

From a past of bogs, insecurity and damages to a reality of recovered and well-maintained lanes, safer routes and 24-hour support for drivers. This is the leap  BR-163 will take with the arrival of Via Brasil BR-163, the Conasa Group concessionaire that took over, in April, the management of the 1,009 kilometers of BR-163/230/MT/PA, between Sinop, in Mato Grosso and the Port of Miritituba, in Pará. The stretch is considered the main corridor for the outflow of grain production from the Center-West and North regions.      

Via Brasil BR-163, whose concession contract has a 10-year duration, started in May an investment plan of more than R$ 2 billion for the recovery, capacity expansion, conservation and operational services to users, such as medical assistance and tow truck rescue. Besides BR-163, the stretch granted also includes 39.3 km of BR-230, known as Transamazônica, in the accesses to the port terminals of Miritituba, Santarenzinho and Itapacurá, in Pará. 

The first interventions, of a corrective nature, will take place over the next 6 months. In this phase, the concessionaire will work to raise the highway to better levels of safety and traffic flow. The work front begins with the recovery of the asphalt, signaling, drainage, bridges, and safety elements, among others.

Besides repairing the current precarious situation of some stretches, the immediate interventions will eliminate risks such as depressions, subsidence and steps, as well as large unevennesses between the shoulder and the roadway. These improvements will help to avoid accidents, especially in the case of cargo vehicles.

Users of the BR-163 highway will also experience a rapid improvement in signage. Old, illegible and damaged signs will be replaced with new, more visible models, especially at night. Stretches in which drivers cannot even see the painted lanes will be restored. The entire route will receive reflective tacks (cat's-eye), which help drivers in situations of poor visibility.

The safety of the highway will be increased, in the short term, by other interventions such as the recovery of barriers and metal fences; repairs to bridges and sidewalks; cleaning and unblocking of culverts, gutters, and other items in the drainage system. All of this to ensure the correct flow of water; recomposition of embankments and slopes; and pruning, weeding, and mowing services on the right-of-way and on the central medians.

“"We are going to take care of the main agribusiness corridor in Brazil, where a considerable part of the country's wealth circulates. It is a challenging and extremely relevant project. We have studied in depth the needs of the enterprise and we are prepared to deliver a new, better and safer highway, especially for grain transporters," says Fernando Fujisawa, CEO of Via Brasil BR-163.

The work schedule along the more than 1,000 kilometers foresees work primarily during daytime hours. At the points of intervention, the company will install signs to alert users, as well as flagmen, since there may be retention at "stop-and-go" points. In the case of interventions at night, in addition to all the signs provided, lighting systems will be installed in order to promote safety for workers and road users.

24-HOUR ASSISTANCE, SAFETY AND COMFORT FOR USERS

By 2022, users of the BR-163 highway will have access to a series of services called User Assistance Systems (SAU). The assistance services include emergency medical care; mechanical assistance; firefighting and apprehension of animals on the right-of-way; a user information system; and a user complaints and suggestions system. Assistance can be requested through a 0800 number.

The concession contract includes the construction of four operational bases, which will also serve as support points for drivers. The facilities, available 24 hours a day, will provide totems with useful information, a rest area, parking, restrooms, a baby-changing station, access to drinking water, and a public telephone.

“"Via Brasil BR-163 will operate with a fleet of 23 inspection vehicles, 8 tow trucks, 5 ambulances, 4 trucks for apprehending animals and 4 water trucks. Teams from the concessionaire will be present on the more than 1,000 kilometers that have been granted continuously, ready to identify and deal with the most varied situations", says Regina Paiva, Director of Operations.

Electronic message panels will be part of the operational support along the granted stretch, passing on useful information and instructions to drivers. The Operational Control Center will be able to monitor the highway 24 hours a day through approximately 50 cameras installed along the stretch.

Enforcement will also rise to new heights on the highway. In addition to curbing infractions, it is important to raise the levels of safety for all road users. The concessionaire will build three weighbridges and three Federal Highway Police (PRF) posts, and will install speed control radars.

The responsibility for inspection lies with the public authorities, and the funds from fines go directly to the National Treasury, without any interference from the concessionaire.