Brazil: Federal authorities audit road maintenance and address safety concerns

The Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) is conducting an audit of road maintenance services managed by the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit). Auditors are inspecting asphalt micro-coating applications on the BR-101 in Rio Grande do Norte and the BR-230 in Paraíba to ensure that the quantities of services measured and paid for match the actual work performed. This follows data showing that asphalt micro-coating services involved approximately R$ 348 million in 2025 and R$ 264 million in 2026.

In Paraíba, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) has called for urgent safety measures on a stretch of the BR-230 between Juazeirinho and Soledade. This follows a series of serious accidents, including one that resulted in seven deaths. The MPF met with representatives from the PRF and Dnit to demand technical reports and the installation of speed reducers and electronic speed controls. The PRF has committed to presenting a technical work plan within 15 days to strengthen inspections in the area.

Separately, federal deputy Cabo Gilberto Silva criticized the federal government in the Chamber of Deputies for delays in completing BR-230 infrastructure projects, including viaducts near João Pessoa and duplication works near Campina Grande.