Kapsch TrafficCom has announced it is to install a new barrier-free tolling system on the highway between the Brazilian megacity Rio de Janeiro and Santos. The system is the first of its kind in Brazil since the required legislation was introduced in 2021.
With the first elements due for completion in March 2023, the new system will make traffic flow more smoothly on the coastal highway and reduce emissions and noise pollution in neighboring areas. With a total of more than 60 million inhabitants, the highway connects the country’s most populous states.
The project, which will eliminate the need for congestion-causing toll booths, covers 200 km of the BR 101 coastal highway in the Rio-Santos area, a highway route concessioned by CCR RioSP. The Rio-Santos, an important part of the BR-101 and probably the most scenic stretch of highway in Brazil, was completed in 1972 and is used daily by approximately 10,000 commercial vehicles.
“We are very excited to bring this technology to Brazil to improve mobility in the country. With more than 60,000 kilometers of highway, the Brazilian road network is one of the longest in the world, so this is a particularly strong lever for improving the traffic situation and reducing emissions,” says Samuel Kapsch, executive vice president for Latin America at Kapsch TrafficCom.
Kapsch TrafficCom has been active in Latin America since 2000 and has now implemented projects in 10 countries and 19 cities in the region. Under the leadership of Samuel Kapsch, the focus is primarily on modern tolling systems and intelligent traffic management solutions for highways and cities to avoid congestion and reduce emissions.
Part of the BR 101 highway near Rio de Janeiro
Images: AdobeStock
