Third lane on Imigrantes and megaterminal at Port of Santos could increase truck traffic by up to 145%

The number of trucks heading daily to the Port of Santos could increase by up to 145% with the implementation of the new lane on the Imigrantes Highway and the Santos 10 Container Terminal at the Saboó dock (STS10). The total could rise from the current 12,000 to 29,400 per day.

The estimate made by A Tribuna considers the average of 12,000 trucks per day currently descending the Serra toward the port terminals. According to the concessionaire Ecovias, the third lane of the Imigrantes will increase capacity by 145% for these vehicles. Santos 10 alone, when fully operational, is expected to receive 5,000 trucks per day.

See below a historical overview of cargo movement at the Port of Santos starting from January 2022. The chart was prepared using DataLiner data:

Container Throughput at the Port of Santos | Jan 2022 – Apr 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Experts warn of the need for complementary work on urban access roads to avoid a logistical collapse.

According to Ecovias, which is developing the basic and executive projects of the new connection between the Plateau and the Baixada Santista, the Anchieta-Imigrantes System (SAI) will have a greater capacity to absorb the existing demand, potentially improving traffic conditions during high flow periods. “In addition, the system gains room to absorb future demand,” the company said in a statement.

The company also clarified that the third-lane project includes “improvements to connection roads and is integrated with other projects under development that increase capacity in the region, such as the second access to the Right Bank of the Port of Santos, at km 65 of the Anchieta Highway, and the new exit viaduct from the Alemoa district to the Anchieta at km 62.”

Mario Povia, president of the Brazilian Infrastructure Institute (IBI), states that the ideal scenario is for the scheduled infrastructure investment timelines to be completed, thereby providing solutions and avoiding new bottlenecks. “This way we can mitigate the effects of future demand approaching the Santos cluster.” Povia adds that investments in the Internal Railway of the Port of Santos (Fips) and expansions of the Santos Brasil, BTP, and DP World terminals will result in increased capacity. “In addition, the adoption of new technologies by terminal operators and consenting authorities such as the Federal Revenue Service, Anvisa, and Vigiagro tends to make foreign trade dynamics more agile, reducing the time cargo remains in terminal facilities.”

Alessandro Lopes, the coordinator of Engineering and Architecture at ESAMC, states that the immersed tunnel Santos–Guarujá and the third lane are crucial for the region’s logistics development but should be accompanied by a redesign of roads and urban layout.

“The increase in port cargo handling capacity and fluidity between the banks attracts more vehicles, especially trucks, and without planning, we will only shift the problem—road access queues, inner-city congestion, and unbearable traffic in some sections that are already chaotic. So, rethinking that access would be the ideal and most assertive approach,” he added.

Port logistics consultant Ivam Jardim points out that it is essential for the tunnel, Tecon 10, and the third lane of the Imigrantes to move forward in a coordinated way, with integrated planning and accompanied by complementary interventions on urban and port access routes to prevent worsening the existing logistical bottlenecks.

“It is urgent to implement the new entrance to Santos toward the Perimetral and the planned road layout for the Saboó region.”

Jardim also states that the new entrance to Santos, located near the Perimetral, and the planned road system in the Saboó area will be essential for organizing cargo and passenger traffic. “This new road will give direct access to the future passenger terminal and Tecon Santos 10, relieving the current network, which includes a road-rail crossing, enabling safer and more efficient operations,” he emphasized. Regarding the third lane, Jardim stated that it is a relevant solution for truck traffic descending the Serra. “But without improvements to the port accesses on the Right Bank, especially in the urban penetration routes of Santos, this expansion will not resolve the logistical bottlenecks at the port’s entrance.” Regarding the tunnel, the specialist stated that the project would have a positive impact by alleviating the congestion at Ponta da Praia, where the coexistence of ferries and ships already requires delicate coordination to ensure safety and smooth flow. “Now more than ever, we must see these works as parts of an integrated system that requires complementary planning in urban road infrastructure, signage, traffic management, and investments in direct port accesses, or we risk undermining the logistical potential that these major projects can offer,” Jardim concluded.

Guarujá may undergo road redesign
The city of Guarujá may be included in the redesign of its entrance and the addition of a third lane on the Cônego Domenico Rangoni Highway. The projects are under development and will connect with the future Plateau–Baixada Santista connection on the Imigrantes Highway.

“There is an ongoing discussion with Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) regarding the new access routes related to the third lane of the Imigrantes, including the possibility of a third lane on the Cônego. In parallel, a project is being developed for a new entrance to the city,” stated Guarujá Mayor Farid Madi (Pode) in a statement.

“All urban mobility projects are being discussed and forwarded to the Santos Port Authority (APS) and the State Government, alongside the bidding process for the new port,” added Farid, also mentioning that the APS has already authorized the construction of the new Perimetral Avenue, with direct access via the Cônego Highway, reducing impacts.

Santos
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Port Affairs and Employment of Santos, Bruno Orlandi, recalled the works initiated in the Alemoa Industrial area, such as the redesign of the surroundings of the Alemoa viaduct, which provides access to Engenheiro Augusto Barata Avenue (Retão da Alemoa), and the construction of two new viaducts: one for exit and another included in the Internal Railway of the Port of Santos (Fips) project.

However, Orlandi emphasized: “We are already facing significant bottlenecks at the access points, and without road infrastructure counterparts, there is a risk of worsening mobility and directly affecting the daily life of the population, workers, and the logistics of the Port itself.”

For him, projects like the third lane of the Imigrantes must include “investments in infrastructure, such as improvements to the roads connecting to the SAI and the creation of suitable truck holding yards.”

Orlandi also stressed that “it is essential” to build “a new access to the Port before the Santos 10 terminal begins operations. This is a topic that Mayor Rogério Santos (Republicanos) has firmly brought to Brasília, along with Congressman Paulo Alexandre Barbosa (PSDB), reinforcing the importance of preparing the city for this new logistical moment,” he said.

Truck drivers demand new parking lots
The president of the Union of Autonomous Freight Transporters of Baixada Santista and Vale do Ribeira (Sindicam), Luciano Carvalho, stated that he is unsure whether the Santos–Guarujá tunnel will actually accommodate trucks. “This is something we’ll discuss with the governor.”

Carvalho said the Santos 10 terminal is essential, but studies are needed to avoid further impacting traffic at the entrance of Santos. Regarding the third lane of the Imigrantes, the union leader emphasized that, to prevent a logistical collapse, “it is important to have a control yard in São Bernardo and another in Cubatão so that trucks don’t descend without coordination and end up jamming our Baixada even more.”

Sindicam director Romero Costa said the new lane on the Imigrantes will only be viable if there is parking in the Baixada Santista for trucks. “Ideally, it should be at the end of the third lane (Cônego), where screening would be done before allowing trucks to proceed to the Port.”

“Without a yard with over 1,000 truck spaces and without a proper scheduling plan integrated with the Port Authority, it will be chaos in the Baixada,” he warned.

Another indispensable resource, according to Romero, is a viaduct in the Alemoa area. “Without a viaduct leading directly to the Anchieta Highway, traffic will jam up that entire Alemoa region for people coming from Cubatão and entering Santos.”

The president of the Union of Commercial Freight Transport Companies of the Paulista Coast (Sindisan), Rose Fassina, said the organization supports the tunnel and Santos 10 but pointed out that “every day, new obstacles are presented to the implementation of the projects.”

“As for which mode transporters will use to access Guarujá, I’d say they are skeptical about the tunnel’s construction. It’s been many years of waiting.”

Source: A Tribuna

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