Mato Grosso audit court warns of hazardous road conditions on state highways

Sérgio Ricardo, president of the Mato Grosso Court of Accounts (TCE-MT), highlighted serious safety deficiencies on several state roads. During an inspection of the MT-249 in the northwest, he noted the absence of shoulders, steep drops between the lane and its edges and a misleading appearance of recent maintenance that could give drivers a false sense of security. The audit also covered the MT-170, where a R$130 million asphalt layer deteriorated within a year, and other highways such as MT‑010, MT‑220 and MT‑410 in Tabaporã. Technical reports pointed to inadequate compaction, insufficient aggregate, and substandard materials, causing rapid disintegration of the pavement and unsafe conditions.

Ricardo called for urgent corrective actions, accountability for the contractors, the state infrastructure agency (Sinfra-MT), and the officials who authorized the works. He urged the adoption of hot‑mix asphalt for future projects and announced further inspections and audits to protect the public and curb waste of public funds. The affected municipalities include Campo Novo do Parecis, Brasnorte, Juína, Castanheira, Juruena, Vila Rica and Tabaporã.