{"id":6957,"date":"2026-08-01T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/?p=6957"},"modified":"2026-07-31T18:18:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T23:18:34","slug":"brazil-started-building-south-americas-longest-sea-bridge-12-4-kilometers-across-the-bay-of-all-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/brazil-started-building-south-americas-longest-sea-bridge-12-4-kilometers-across-the-bay-of-all-saints\/6957\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazil started building South America’s longest sea bridge: 12.4 kilometers across the Bay of All Saints"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brazil has officially begun building a 7.7-mile bridge across the Bay of All Saints, linking Salvador with Vera Cruz on Itaparica Island. Scheduled for completion in June 2031, the Salvador-Itaparica crossing is expected to become Latin America\u2019s longest bridge built continuously over water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is an investment worth about $2.23 billion at Brazil\u2019s recent exchange rate<\/a>, with promises of faster travel, new business, and a less isolated regional economy. But can a road of this scale deliver growth without pushing marine habitats and traditional communities to the margins? That question will matter as much as the concrete and steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new route by 2031<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The bridge will carry two traffic lanes in each direction. Its cable-stayed central section will rise about 279 ft. above sea level, leaving room for large cargo ships, tankers, ferries, and cruise vessels to pass through the bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On land, the wider system adds 2.7 miles of access roads in Salvador, a 13.7-mile expressway on Itaparica, and roughly 5 miles of duplicated highway. It is not just a bridge, it is a new transport corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials expect about 28,000 vehicles a day when the system opens and say some trips between Salvador and Bahia\u2019s Lower South region could shrink by about two hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freight arriving from western Bahia could avoid as much as 124 miles, which could cut delivery time and costs for grain, cotton, and fruit. For drivers now planning around ferries or long detours, the appeal is easy to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Construction
Brazil has broken ground on South America’s longest sea bridge, connecting Salvador and Itaparica Island across the Bay of All Saints.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who is paying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The project is structured as a 35-year public-private partnership with the concessionaire formed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and China Communications Construction Company. About 47% of the investment comes from the concessionaire, while federal and Bahia state funding cover the remaining 53%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the official July 1 exchange rate, the latest funding breakdown equals roughly $1.06 billion from the concessionaire, $577 million from Brazil\u2019s federal government, and $597 million from Bahia. After construction, the concessionaire is due to operate and maintain the system for 29 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction is expected to create about 7,000 direct and indirect jobs. The state has also announced 1,400 training slots, while roughly 300 workers and 27 Brazilian suppliers were already involved when construction officially started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese technology over the water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the project\u2019s most unusual tools is a temporary linear platform<\/a> running for about 7.5 miles alongside the future bridge. Think of it as an elevated work street that lets crews, cranes, and materials move above the water even as tides and weather change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials say the platform will reduce the need for support vessels by about 70% while preserving navigation channels for fishers and larger ships. Once in place, that should mean less marine traffic and fewer operational risks, but the launch materials do not quantify how many gallons of fuel or how much underwater noise the technology could prevent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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