Brazil infrastructure projects worth R$ 204 billion delayed

The next Brazilian administration will inherit a backlog of infrastructure projects totaling at least R$ 204 billion. These delayed investments span highways, railways, ports, and waterways, with many originally scheduled for 2026 now pushed to 2027 or later.

Specific delays include road auctions, where only seven of the 13 planned auctions for 2026 are now expected to proceed. In the maritime sector, only three of 18 planned port auctions had occurred by September, and five waterway concessions have been postponed. Most railway projects have also been deferred.

Factors contributing to these delays include the suspension of studies, schedule changes, a backlog of projects at the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), and unfinalized agreements at the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU). Despite these delays, the current administration has conducted 50 infrastructure concessions between 2023 and 2025, a figure that exceeds the totals from the previous administrations of Jair Bolsonaro and Fernando Henrique Cardoso.