Government finalizes bidding for BR-319 and expects approval by June

The tender for the repaving of four lots on BR-319, the highway that connects Manaus (AM) to Porto Velho (RO), has been concluded. The forecast is to approve the contracts for all sections by the first week of June.

The information was confirmed by the Minister of Transport, George Santoro, this Thursday (22), during participation in the Esfera Forum.

According to the minister, approval of the first batch should be published next Monday (25).

As a result, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva must travel to Manaus next week to sign the service order for the first approved batch. This step is necessary for the works to begin.

As CNN showed, the government resumed this month the bidding process for sections of BR-319 after a legal reversal involving works on the highway. The Federal Court of Amazonas even suspended the bidding for the so-called "middle section" of the road one day before the opening of bids, but the decision was reversed hours later by the TRF-1 (Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region).

BR-319 has been the subject of impasses for decades. Defenders of the work argue that the highway is the only land connection between Amazonas and the rest of the country and point out that the recovery is strategic for regional and logistical integration in the North region. Environmentalists are already warning of the risk of increased deforestation, land grabbing and pressure on sensitive areas in the Amazon.

Source: CNN