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City Hall delivers Moacyr Sreder Bastos Tunnel and the first phase of the Campo Grande Ring Road.
Published on 06/03/2026 - 18:18 | Updated on 06/03/2026 - 20:10
The first tunnel in the neighborhood's history reduces travel time and reorganizes traffic around the Caroba and Posse roads. Photo: Beth Santos The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, inaugurated, this Friday (March 6th), alongside the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Professor Moacyr Sreder Bastos Tunnel, the first in the history of Campo Grande. The new connection between the Caroba and Posse roads should reduce travel time between the two regions from 15 to three minutes.
The main deliverable of the first phase of the ring road project foreseen in the Campo Grande Mobility Plan, this work is part of a set of interventions that are already reshaping traffic in the most populous neighborhood in the country and establishing a new circulation pattern in the region.
– Moacyr Sreder Bastos is a son of this land, he was a defender of Campo Grande, so this is a fitting tribute. This is the first section of the Campo Grande Ring Road, connecting Estrada da Caroba to Estrada da Posse. The works continue from Estrada da Posse to Avenida Brasil. These are transformative works for the reality of this neighborhood. The time we lose in traffic is enormous, this project is important to change that – stated the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes.
Led by the Municipal Secretariat of Infrastructure, the mobility plan brings together investments of approximately R$ 1 billion, with resources from the municipality and the Federal Government, through financing from BNDES of R$ 702,8 million. This is the largest road system requalification project in the history of Campo Grande, a region that concentrates one of the highest volumes of travel in the West Zone, driven by a strong presence of residential, commercial and service areas.
"Improving the quality of life in Rio de Janeiro is a fundamental part of a national project. We are carrying out six structuring projects here. The city of Rio is a great partner of BNDES," said the bank's president, Aloizio Mercadante.
The first tunnel in the history of Campo Grande.
The Professor Moacyr Sreder Bastos Tunnel, a key landmark in the first phase of the ring road construction, connects Estrada da Caroba to Estrada da Posse, creating a more direct route between the center of Campo Grande and the Posse region. In practice, the structure increases traffic capacity, reorganizes internal traffic flow, and offers an alternative to the Estrada das Capoeiras–Estrada do Mendanha axis, one of the main road corridors in the neighborhood.
Currently, travel between the Caroba and Posse roads is via the Estrada das Capoeiras, a distance of approximately three kilometers. With the new tunnel, an expressway, the journey will take about three minutes.
– Campo Grande is the largest neighborhood in Brazil, with many residents. People who used Estrada das Capoeiras to travel alongside Estrada da Caroba and wanted to reach Estrada da Posse, or who came from Rio de Prata, the center of Campo Grande, or those on the Mendanha side, now have an alternative – said Deputy Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere.
In addition to shortening distances, the new connection also improves traffic flow throughout the region. With the reorganization of traffic flow, the average speed on surrounding roads should increase by about 20%.
The tunnel was designed to handle approximately 1.800 vehicles per hour at its initial peak, with projections reaching up to 3.800 vehicles per hour by 2035, in addition to an estimated daily volume of 21 vehicles at the start of operations.
The structure has two parallel tunnels, each approximately 500 meters long, both with two lanes in each direction. On the Caroba side, access is via Rua Minas de Prata, which underwent urbanization works, road improvements, and the implementation of a U-turn to facilitate maneuvers and traffic flow distribution. On the Posse side, the connection is made via a new overpass, responsible for organizing traffic and ensuring greater fluidity and safety in the integration with the road.
Construction began in August 2023 with the first blast to open the tunnels. Excavations and drilling progressed with technical adjustments according to the terrain conditions. After this stage, the roadways, bike path, and all operational infrastructure were installed, including ventilation, lighting, monitoring, and fire suppression systems, supervised by a Control and Operations Center.
Deliveries that consolidate the first phase of the ring road.
The tunnel's inauguration coincides with the official handover of the main interventions of the first phase of the Campo Grande Ring Road, which are already in operation and have been promoting significant changes in local traffic flow.
Among these projects is the revitalization of Rua Artur Rios, which underwent a complete overhaul and gained a new strategic turnaround. This solution allows drivers to access Avenida Cesário de Melo and continue towards Estrada da Caroba, which was also revitalized, with greater organization and less impact on the main traffic flow. The removal of traffic lights in the area also contributed to reducing congestion and increasing traffic flow.
Another highlight was the construction of the underpass beneath Avenida Cesário de Melo, approximately 400 meters long, which created a direct link between Estrada do Monteiro and Viaduto Alim Pedro. This solution improves traffic flow for those coming from Avenida Brasil towards Barra da Tijuca, via Avenida Dom João VI.
In addition to making the journey faster, the underpass relieved congestion at one of the most critical intersections in the region, at the meeting point of Cesário de Melo and Estrada do Monteiro. Nearby, Praça Francisco Barbosa was renovated, gained a skate park, and the Engenheiro Alim Pedro Obelisk, a local historical landmark, underwent restoration work.
New mobility standard for the most populous neighborhood in the country.
With the completion of this first phase, Campo Grande now has a more integrated road system, capable of better distributing internal traffic flows and reducing the impact of peak hours. The set of interventions expands connections, alleviates historical bottlenecks, and brings more predictability to daily commutes.
This new standard is consolidated with other completed projects of the Mobility Plan, such as the new access ramp on Estrada dos Sete Riachos, the Ana Maria da Silva Square, and the implementation of the new section of Estrada do Tingui that now reaches Avenida Brasil.
At the same time, the requalification of Cesário de Melo and Joaquim Magalhães avenues, the revitalization of Estrada do Monteiro and Largo da Maçonaria, as well as the implementation of the Rio-São Paulo Highway and Vitor Alves Street dual carriageway are underway.
New signage in Campo Grande
CET-Rio is upgrading all horizontal and vertical signage on the main roads of Campo Grande to guide and ensure the safety of pedestrians and drivers, who will begin using the new tunnel starting this Friday.
The main innovation in the signage is the LED bar that mimics the pedestrian crossing time, displaying the colors green, flashing red, and red. A total of 40 bars will be installed in the ground, at the beginning and end of the crossings. This bar serves to draw the pedestrian's attention, as they may be distracted and will see the red LED lighting up, which means the signal is red.
Countdown timers are also being installed at intersections around the overpass, equipment that will provide more comfort to pedestrians, as they will know how much time they have to cross the street. Drivers will have vehicle countdown timers that will indicate the time remaining until the light changes, marking the last ten seconds. Seven intersections and crossings are receiving this equipment.
Other changes are planned with the installation of 65 cameras for the intelligent adaptive system, which alters the signal timing according to traffic flow, at the tunnel entrance and on the other side, on Estrada da Caroba at the intersection with Rua Minas de Prata, among other roads surrounding the viaduct. Estrada da Caroba and Estrada da Posse will receive new traffic light controllers.
Electronic surveillance
With the goal of reducing vehicle speeds and ensuring greater safety for drivers, CET-Rio will install speed cameras on Rua Minas de Prata (before the curve leading to Estrada da Caroba) and on Via Light (viaduct leading to Estrada da Posse).
Traffic operation
To organize traffic and guide drivers and pedestrians, 25 motorcyclists and 16 traffic operators will be working in the area, supported by three tow trucks.
The numbers for the Professor Moacyr Sreder Bastos Tunnel
Its construction required the excavation of 225 tons of material, more than 13 truck trips, and the use of nearly 16 cubic meters of concrete and 238 kilograms of steel.
The tunnel also features eight jet fans, 17 fire hydrants, 1,1 meters of piping, and over a thousand LED lighting points. There are also access points between the galleries via fire doors.
The City Hall has already fulfilled the requirements of the Fire Department and obtained provisional approval, the first step towards the issuance of the definitive document stating that the tunnel meets all the requirements for its operation.
Who was Moacyr Sreder Bastos?
Moacyr Sreder Bastos was an educator and entrepreneur from Campo Grande who played a fundamental role in the history of the neighborhood. Together with his wife, Guiomar Barros Bastos, he created the Ginásio Modelo in 1935, a school that would become a landmark in local education and which would later be renamed the Afonso Celso Technical School of Commerce.
Over the decades, the institution evolved into the Moacyr Sreder Bastos University Center, one of the leading educational institutions in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro, offering courses from basic to higher education. This trajectory has broadened access to education and professional training for generations of residents in the region.
Guidance for drivers on the main access routes to the new tunnel.
Those who come from the Rio de la Plata
You should follow the Cabuçu Road, access Dom Sebastião I Avenue and use the local connections until you reach the Caroba/Minas da Prata axis, which leads to the new tunnel.
Who comes from the Most Holy?
From Avenida Santa Cruz, take Avenida Joaquim Magalhães, continue along Avenida Cesário de Melo, access Estrada da Caroba and then Rua Minas da Prata, which leads to the tunnel entrance.
Those coming from the center of Campo Grande
Continue along Avenida Cesário de Melo, make a U-turn at Rua Arthur Rios, cross the overpass, access Estrada da Caroba and then Rua Minas da Prata, arriving at the new road axis.
In the direction of Avenida Brasil
After passing through the tunnel, the driver must follow Estrada da Posse to Estrada do Quafá, which provides access to Avenida Brasil.
Those coming from Avenida Brasil
Use the Santíssimo roundabout, access Estrada do Quafá, follow Estrada da Posse and then access the new road that leads to the tunnel.
Those coming from Tingui Road
Access Avenida Marechal Dantas Barreto and continue along Avenida Mergulhão, then Rua Beija-Flor, access Estrada da Posse and use the access to the new road.
Those coming from Estrada do Mendanha
You should access Rua Nova Bethânia, continue along Avenida Marechal Dantas Barreto and use the connections that lead to Estrada da Posse and the new road corridor.
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