Rodovia dos Imigrantes marks 50 years with modernization and expansion plans

The Rodovia dos Imigrantes, inaugurated on 28 June 1976, celebrates its 50th anniversary. The highway links the São Paulo metropolitan area to the Baixada Santista, serving tourism and the transport of cargo to the Port of Santos. Since its concession to private operators, more than R$11 billion has been invested, including the opening of a second lane in 2002 and the rollout of the electronic toll system Siga Fácil, which reads plates or tags to eliminate stop‑and‑go at toll plazas.

Daily traffic reaches about 123,000 vehicles, with a record 170,182 during the 2012 Carnival period. In the year from June 2025 to May 2026 the route recorded 204 accidents and 41 deaths. Authorities are studying a third lane that would add roughly 21.6 km, including a planned six‑kilometre tunnel – potentially the longest road tunnel in Brazil – expected to raise capacity by about 25 percent.