Brasília – The Special Ports Secretariat hopes to make available around 677 million Brazilian reals (US$ 388 million) this year to modify or build tourist port terminals in seven of the 12 Brazilian states that are going to host matches in the 2014 World Cup.
Apart from the construction of new terminals and the redoing or expansion of existing ones, the funds will also be turned to works for improvement of routes for land access and port infrastructure, with the expansion of piers and the placing of skids for vessel docking. The dredging for expansion of the draft of the canals (necessary for arrival of large vessels) in these and other ports had been included in the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) in 2008 and should consume another 1.6 billion reals by the end of 2010.
According to the secretariat, the value to be invested in passenger terminals was calculated based on projects elaborated by the administrators of the ports of Salvador, Recife, Natal, Fortaleza, Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus. The largest port in Latin America, Santos, should receive investment due to its proximity with São Paulo, one of the host cities of the Cup.
Apart from allowing for a greater number of cruises to dock at ports simultaneously, thus supplying the greater number of tourists to be visiting the country during the event, the investment will also allow for the vessels to remain docked. This solution will be an alternative to the lack of hotel bends, as occurred during the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, those in Australia, in 2000, and in Spain, in 1992, causing many tourists to decide to travel in cruises and remain in the vessels during their stay.
According to a spokesperson, the proposal for investment is being analysed by the Chief of Staff’s office and presidential approval is awaited. The project turns most of the funds, around 299 million reals (US$ 172 million) to Rio de Janeiro, where three new piers will be built. Then comes the Porto of Santos, where the realigning of a 1,500 metre pier and the construction of 3.5 kilometres of local roads should cost 114 million reals (US$ 65 million).
Mucuripe port, in Fortaleza, forecasts expenses of little over 93 million reals (US$ 53 million) to build a maritime passenger terminal, a berth for multiple use and parking areas as well as for the tarmacking and urbanization of access to the terminal.
Manaus should receive 79.9 million reals (US$ 46 million) to adapt the existing terminals, expand the pier, install skids and establish a parking area covering around 7,000 square metres connected to the terminal by an overpass.
In Natal port, where there is also no tourist terminal and vessels dock at a berth turned to cargo movement, the adaptation of a closed chilled storage facility, the expansion of the pier and the tarmacking of routes for access to the parking lot should cost 46.5 million reals (US$ 27 million).
In Salvador, where the passenger terminal was recently redone, the secretariat considers it necessary to promote new works to offer greater comfort to users. The estimate is for the works to cost 29.26 million reals (US$ 17 million), including tarmacking and urbanization of access to the parking area.
Another capital that does not yet count with a terminal and uses mobile tents for passenger movement, Recife should receive around 17 million reals (US$ 10 million) to adapt Warehouse 7, covering an area of 2,700 square metres, and to build an annex, as well as paving and urbanizing the area surrounding the future terminal.
*Translated by Mark Ament
