The São Paulo state government is conducting an international mission to Europe this Sunday (3) and Monday (4) as part of the technical qualification actions for the Santos–Guarujá tunnel project, whose auction is scheduled for September 5, 2025, at the headquarters of the São Paulo stock exchange (B3). The technical visit is joined by Artesp director Raquel Carneiro, who participates in the mission focusing on the agency’s regulatory and oversight experience for the project.
The program includes technical visits to two major European facilities that use immersed tunnel technology, the same solution planned for the connection between the cities of Santos and Guarujá. On Sunday, the delegation will visit the operations center of Dutch company Imontevc, specialized in the movement and immersion of submerged structures. On Monday, the representatives of the São Paulo state government will participate in a technical immersion at the Scheldetunnel, in Antwerp, Belgium, as well as in a meeting with representatives of the local regulatory agency (Lantis), responsible for the Oosterweel project, one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in Europe.
The international mission reinforces the São Paulo state government’s commitment to technical excellence and innovation in the development of urban mobility and logistics solutions. The visits also continue the international dialogue initiated during the project’s roadshow, which enabled the incorporation of improvements to the concession model, contributing to greater efficiency, legal certainty, and attractiveness of the project.
The Santos–Guarujá tunnel will be the first of its kind in Brazil, with 1.5 km in length — 870 meters under the channel bed —, three lanes in each direction, a dedicated lane for the light rail transit (VLT), and a gallery for pedestrians and cyclists. The total planned investment is R$ 6 billion, with public and private resources, under a 30-year concession arrangement.
The project is the result of a partnership between the São Paulo state government and the federal government, through the ministry of ports and airports, with the support of Artesp, the national waterway transportation agency (Antaq), and the Santos port authority (APS). The initiative is qualified under the São Paulo partnerships and investments program (PPI-SP) and is part of the federal government’s Novo PAC program.