Tarcísio says ‘nothing will be imposed on families’ regarding expropriations for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel project

Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) has assured property owners subject to expropriation for the Santos-Guarujá immersed tunnel project, in the Macuco neighborhood of Santos, that “nothing will be imposed on families.”

The statement was made during a conversation with local residents last Friday (5), during the concession auction for the project, held at the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3).

The tunnel project foresees the expropriation of 65 houses and businesses on Rua José do Patrocínio, in an area covering 43,000 square meters. The planned layout includes a large block between Rua José do Patrocínio and Avenida Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves, from Avenida Senador Dantas to Rua Almirante Tamandaré, involving the isolation of the entire construction area and access to the tunnel.

“We will work with each family individually. Each family will receive a home in equal or better conditions, in the same city. We will ensure the purchasing power for the new property — this is our commitment. There are cases where more than one family lives in a single home; these situations will also be addressed and are not an issue for the project”, the governor said in an interview.

Tarcísio also mentioned that the Companhia de Desenvolvimento Habitacional e Urbano (CDHU) plans to develop a large housing complex in an area owned by the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM), in Macuco, with 1,769 apartments. Interested families will be included in the project.

“It is impossible to carry out a project of this magnitude without expropriations, because in order to build the tunnel exit, we need to adapt the road systems in Santos and Guarujá — and this inevitably involves some expropriations”, he explained.

Speaking to A Tribuna , José Santaella Junior, secretary of the Macuco Community Association (Acom), said that the community demands guarantees and transparency throughout the entire process.

“We want to build a solution that suits the residents affected”, he said. “If someone lives in a house, they should receive another house. If that new house is more expensive — which is common in Santos — then so be it”, he added.

According to the project, the State Government will allocate R\$ 544.3 million for compensation payments and resettlements. This amount is not fixed, according to Raquel Carneiro, director of the State Transport Agency (Artesp).

“It could be more or less. We estimated this amount based on nearby properties with similar or better characteristics than those currently occupied by residents. ”