Mar 04, 2024
Time for Improving Highway BR-163 in Mato Grosso Cut in Half
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The governor of Mato Grosso announced last week that the time for the expansion of Highway BR-163 in Mato Grosso from a 2-lane to a 4-lane limited access highway will be reduced by half. He said the project will be completed in four years instead of the original eight years. Some work has already been completed and by the end of 2024, all the contracts will be finalized for the various segments and construction will begin on the remaining segments.
After years of litigation, the state of Mato Grosso took control of the project when the original contractor declared bankruptcy and indicated that they did not have the resources to complete the project. Initially, the state accepted the original time of eight years to complete the project, but then determined that with the correct resources, it could be completed in half the time.
Highway BR-163, which is often referred to as the Soybean Highway, is considered the most important highway in Brazil as far as agriculture is concerned. It traverses the entire length of Mato Grosso north to south and it is the primary route for grain shipments to new ports in the Amazon Region as well as the traditional ports in southeastern Brazil. Mato Gross is Brazil's largest producer of soybeans, corn, cotton, and cattle.
Completion of this project cannot come soon enough for the farmers and residents of the state. Long lines of trucks carrying grain congest the highway year-round making travel extremely dangerous. Trying to pass a line of slow-moving trucks on a 2-lane highway is very difficult. Below is a picture of some of the ongoing work on Highway BR-163 in central Mato Grosso.
Photo courtesy of SoNoticias.