Built nearly 60 years ago, the 402-kilometer President Dutra Highway links the Nation’s two most important metropolitan regions: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Today, the Via Dutra has several sections with accompanying service roads and handles an average of 790,000 trips per day, because it runs through the main industrial centers of both States, in a region that is responsible for 50% of Brazil’s GDP.
Inaugurated on January 19, 1951, as the BR-02, the President Dutra (BR-116 SP/RJ) became the Nation’s most important highway. It was projected to substitute the former Rio-São Paulo road, built in 1928, of which it took advantage of only a 12-kilometer section. This construction represented an advance in the history of Brazilian engineering.
Up to the mid-60s, its capacity for traffic flow was adequate for the development of the Rio-São Paulo axis. But, with the increase of the Nation’s fleet of vehicles and of the volume of cargo transportation, the highway reached its saturation limit. From 1965 to 1967 it was widened and improved. But, due to a lack of funding for the Federal Government during the following decades, the highway deteriorated. This situation was reversed only in 1996, when the administration of the Via Dutra was turned over to private enterprise.
The concessionaire was transformed the highway. Its work was recognized by the Dutra’s users. In 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, NovaDutra won the NTC & Logística Fornecedores do Transporte Award as the best highway concessionaire, in a vote taken among transportation companies from all over Brazil.