Brazil's BR-319 Road Reopens with Sustainable Development Pact

The federal government is reopening the BR‑319 highway that links Manaus to Porto Velho, positioning the project as a new model for sustainable integration in the Brazilian Amazon. The plan pairs road maintenance and safety upgrades with a 20‑year contract that merges road services and socio‑environmental monitoring, involving federal police, the National Indigenous Peoples Foundation, IBAMA, Chico Mendes Institute and state and municipal agencies.

The initiative expands protected areas along the corridor from about 85,000 km² to roughly 121,000 km², creating a 50‑km buffer on each side of the road to curb illegal deforestation and land grabs. It also includes measures for bio‑economy, rural credit and sustainable forest concessions to generate jobs for local communities while preserving forest cover. The combined approach aims to provide reliable access to health, public services and economic opportunities for residents of the region without repeating past predatory development patterns.