North and Northeast Brazil accelerate BRL 31 billion in investment through road auctions in less than 50 days

The North and Northeast account for most of the road auctions scheduled through the end of this year. With three bidding processes taking place within just a few weeks, the latest round is expected to match the total number of auctions held in the two regions during the current administration. Together, the projects represent approximately BRL 31 billion in direct investment.

Of the 25 federal highway auctions held by the federal government between 2023 and October 2026, only one included stretches of road in the North and two in the Northeast, according to a survey based on data from the Ministry of Transportation.

Lower traffic volumes across parts of the road network help explain this situation. According to experts, construction logistics and social and environmental issues also make concessions more challenging to structure.

Despite these challenges, three of the four auctions scheduled for November and December involve highways in the North or Northeast. The series begins this Thursday, November 12, with the auction to restructure the Rota Arco Norte concession agreement, covering stretches of BR-163 and BR-230 between Mato Grosso and Pará.

In a packed December auction schedule, Rota Agro Central (BR-070/174/364/MT/RO) and Rota 2 de Julho (BR-116/324/BA) will also be offered to the market. The schedule also includes Rota do Pequi (BR-060/153/DF/GO), the only project located entirely outside the North and Northeast.

As NeoFeed previously reported, the optimization of Rota Arco Norte received a single bid, from Conasa Infraestrutura, the current controlling shareholder of the concessionaire. The revised concession agreement covers approximately 1,000 kilometers of highways and provides for BRL 10.8 billion in investment.

National Secretary for Road Transportation Viviane Esse says optimization processes tend to attract fewer bidders than new concessions because they involve competition for control of existing companies.

For the December auctions, she expects greater participation because the projects may appeal to companies pursuing different strategies. “The market is very open, with many companies already operating and new players looking to enter,” Vanessa says.

Rota Agro Central, for example, could attract operators already active in neighboring corridors that are looking to meet demand in the region. The project provides for BRL 6.1 billion in investment, covers approximately 888 kilometers and connects with Rota Agro Norte, which was auctioned last year.

Rota 2 de Julho, formerly Via Bahia, accounts for the largest investment in the current round, at BRL 14.3 billion. The traffic history of the previously tolled highways provides greater predictability for potential bidders, the secretary says, while the scale of the required works calls for greater financial capacity.

Ronei Glanzmann, CEO of MoveInfra, believes that groups already established in these regions may be able to take advantage of the teams and infrastructure they maintain near the highways.

“The diversification of assets is also bringing greater diversity among auction participants. We increasingly need local operators that can benefit from synergies in these regions,” he says.

Previous auction winners have had different profiles. In 2025, the 4UM/Opportunity consortium won the Rota Agro Norte concession (BR-364/RO), while EcoRodovias retained operation of BR-101/ES/BA following the concession agreement review.

This year, the Rota dos Sertões concession (BR-116/BA/PE and BR-324/BA) was awarded to a consortium comprising Neo Invest, linked to Novonor, Mota-Engil and Galapagos.

Tariff and investments

On less heavily traveled stretches of road, particularly in areas with less of a tradition of tolling, toll rates may need to increase to provide an adequate return on investment, raising the political cost of the concession, according to Juliana Deguirmendjian, a partner in the Projects and Infrastructure practice at Tauil & Chequer Advogados in association with Mayer Brown.

“That is why we need political will, well-calibrated projects that properly account for demand, and concession models that include mechanisms to address the risks,” Juliana says.

Along these corridors, Glanzmann emphasizes that traffic forecasts need to take into account peaks in truck traffic. “For part of the year, traffic on the highway is lighter, but during the harvest transportation period, it becomes overloaded. That is difficult to model,” he says.

The Rota Arco Norte concession, signed in 2022, was structured on the assumption that Ferrogrão would absorb some of the freight volumes during this decade. With the railway project delayed, truck traffic on BR-163 exceeded projections, prompting a review of the concession agreement.

Viviane notes that, for years, projects were concentrated in the South and Southeast, where more infrastructure was already available. In expanding agricultural frontiers such as Matopiba, which covers Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia, the challenge is to ensure that the road network keeps pace with production growth.

In new concession agreements, the Ministry of Transportation is seeking, among other measures, to align construction schedules with changes in traffic volumes. Highway duplication and additional lanes can be scheduled according to demand to avoid putting excessive pressure on costs, the secretary says.

Part of this demand comes from freight destined for other regions. Juliana points to connections with ports in the North and Northeast as an example of how highway concessions can facilitate the transportation of goods. “Concessions can also contribute to the development of the areas surrounding the highways,” she adds.

According to Glanzmann, as long as Brazil remains dependent on trucks to transport freight over long distances, better highways will help reduce costs and make journeys safer. “Even as we work to rebalance the transportation mix, Brazil remains a country heavily dependent on roads,” says the MoveInfra CEO.

Projects on the radar

In October, the Ministry of Transportation hired the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) to study the concession of five corridors totaling 3,137 kilometers across nine states in the North and Northeast.

Of the 11 federal highway auctions planned for 2027, six are in the South, three in the Southeast and two in the Northeast. Rota Portuária Itaqui, in Maranhão, is expected to go to auction in October, while Rota Centro-Sul Baiano, in Bahia, is scheduled for December, according to the ministry’s timetable.

Viviane emphasizes that the projects in the 2027 pipeline are economically and financially viable and that predictability is an attractive factor for potential investors.

“They don’t look only at this year’s pipeline, but also at what we are studying. Continuity is a very important word,” says the National Secretary for Road Transportation.