en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Brazilian federal government plans to auction over 500 highway bridges on the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3) in 2026, aiming to accelerate the restoration of aging highway infrastructure. Announced by Minister of Transport George Santoro, this initiative is one of the main measures for the transport sector in 2026.
These projects will be divided into eight lots by state and region, forming a long-term portfolio of restoration and maintenance work. This model does not involve toll collection, but Santoro stated that these assets may be attractive to companies already operating in the highway sector. The auction brings the conventional public contract management method for highway assets to the exchange, where companies bid for contracts with a term designed to be ten years.
The National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) will use the Crema (Contract, Restoration, and Maintenance Plan) solution as the basis for project modeling. The contract term is ten years, aiming to establish a long-term partnership between the public sector and operators. This portfolio combines structural restoration with ongoing maintenance, rather than one-off projects. The government will pay consideration through the public budget but has not classified the project as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Unlike toll concessions, this model relies on public payments and the stability of long-term contracts to support operations.
The Ministry of Transport revealed that the package includes over 500 bridges requiring restoration, divided into eight lots by state and region, helping to organize bidding and divide the assets into more manageable blocks. The government has not yet released the specific list of bridges or the prioritization criteria for each lot. Santoro presented the portfolio at the opening of the "2026 Highway Biennial – The Power of Regulation in Brazil" event organized by the Brazilian Highway Concession Association (ABCR) and invited the highway industry to study the relevant model.
Since no tolls are collected, the model relies more on contract predictability and the flow of public resources. Santoro assessed that these assets may be attractive to existing operators, particularly groups seeking to expand their presence in long-term maintenance and operation contracts. Currently, the government has not disclosed the total amount, lot timeline, or asset list. However, the signal of bringing assets to B3 for auction has already made this initiative a significant measure on the 2026 highway infrastructure agenda.
In the same speech, Santoro highlighted the financial trajectory of Infra S.A. (Brazilian Infrastructure Company). He stated that an agenda is being advanced to make this state-owned enterprise independent of the Treasury within three years. Santoro said Infra S.A. will have sufficient own revenue. Additionally, Santoro mentioned the sector's first federal PPP project, which focuses on the operation and maintenance of the BR-319/AM highway, with its governance environment linked to highway restoration. This information indicates that the government aims to expand the use of different models to address long-term issues in the federal highway network. The market will focus on how DNIT designs the lots, which bridges enter the first round, and the market's reaction to a model without tolls but with long-term contracts and public payment packages.
