Santos-Guarujá Tunnel: meeting defines creation of commission to monitor expropriations

The route of the Santos-Guarujá tunnel is discussed with Macuco residents and the Public Ministry The expropriation of residents for the construction of the Santos-Guarujá immersed tunnel, on the coast of São Paulo, was the central topic of a meeting between the Public Ministry (MP), the Santos community and public bodies. During the meeting, held on Tuesday (21), the creation of a commission was defined to monitor the next steps of the process. The group will maintain communication with families who will have to leave their homes due to the tunnel route. The objective is to inform the population about each stage of the project. The measure is part of a civil inquiry that investigates the socio-environmental and urban impacts of the work since 2024. ? Click here to follow the new g1 Santos channel on WhatsApp. The construction of the immersed tunnel is a century-old demand in Baixada Santista. The structure, the first of its kind in the country, will connect the two cities through a 1.5 km long dry link, around 870 meters underwater. The Portuguese company Mota-Engil won the concession auction last year and will carry out the work, scheduled to begin in 2027. A meeting on the expropriation of residents took place at Gaema's headquarters. Reproduction/TV Tribuna Preocupação The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Special Action Group for the Defense of the Environment (Gaema). Residents of the Macuco neighborhood suggested changes to the tunnel route to avoid expropriations. However, the concessionaire informed that it has already studied several hypotheses and that the change is not viable. As a result, the community's concern became the value of compensation. The representative of the Macuco Community Association, José Santaella Junior, stated in an interview with TV Tribuna, a Globo affiliate, that the fear is the occurrence of a gentrification process. What concerns us is that a process of gentrification, in the essence of the word, does not occur. In other words, paying below market values", said Santaella Junior. He argued that traditional property valuation methods should not be applied in this case. "All that will turn to dust. So, what we want is for the market to be evaluated in a broader way", he stated. The representative highlighted that the change involves lives, and not just physical structures. ?? Gentrification: It is the process in which original residents are expelled from a neighborhood due to real estate appreciation. The fear is that, with low compensation, families will not be able to buy houses in the region, changing the profile of the location. Santos-Guarujá tunnel project Disclosure/APS Deadlines for the amount of compensation As reported by TV Tribuna, representatives of the company responsible for the works were not present at the meeting this Tuesday (21). Therefore, a new meeting must take place within seven days so that residents can clarify further doubts about the project. “Initially, an assessment will be carried out. registration [of residents]. Next, the evaluation of the criteria, which will be used for this compensation valuation", reported the prosecutor, Thaisa Durante Unger Monteiro. According to the prosecutor, Artesp will analyze the criteria to bring a definition to the population. The response on the value of the compensation must be presented in a transparent way. In a note, TSG Concessionária, a special purpose company (SPE) created by the Portuguese company Mota-Engil, informed that it was not invited to the meeting and, therefore, did not send a representative. First tunnel submerged in Brazil will connect Santos and Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo Disclosure/Government SP Sought by g1, the Public Ministry did not comment on the meeting until the publication of this report. Tunnel Check the schedule of works per year, according to the concession contract: ? 2026: Development of functional and executive projects, carrying out complementary studies, expropriation negotiations and carrying out the necessary environmental licensing.