Photo: Ricardo Stuckert

By Brasil 247 - Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday officially launched construction of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge, one of the country's largest infrastructure projects, during a ceremony in Vera Cruz, Bahia. According to Brasil 247, citing the Workers' Party (PT), Lula said the project will strengthen the state's economic development while emphasizing the need to preserve the environmental and cultural identity of Itaparica Island.

The project is part of Brazil's New Growth Acceleration Program (Novo PAC) and will be built under a public-private partnership by a concessionaire formed by Chinese companies CCCC (China Communications Construction Company) and CCECC (China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation). The consortium will also operate and maintain the highway system for the next 35 years.

During his speech, Lula stressed that Itaparica Island should preserve its character despite the arrival of a major infrastructure project.

"There must be protected areas here, areas that you will care for so that the island does not lose its essence: the essence of tranquility and the quality of life that you have built here," he said.

Lula said Bahia needed new logistics infrastructure to accelerate economic growth and improve freight transportation. He added that the project demonstrates the state's ability to carry out large-scale investments.

The president also said the bridge is being built at a time when Bahia has "a very responsible government" with the determination to construct what will become Latin America's longest bridge while addressing the effects of real estate speculation.

Lula emphasized that economic development should not come at the expense of residents' quality of life.

"Taking care of the people also means taking care of their peace of mind and their well-being," he said. Referring to Itaparica Island, he added that it should maintain the "peacefulness of living on a tranquil island," where people can "sleep with their windows open."

Welcomed by local residents, Lula joked that he would like to live on the island and called for additional public investment in the region, including infrastructure, higher education and healthcare services.

The Salvador-Itaparica Bridge will extend 12.4 kilometers and represents an estimated investment of 10.42 billion reais ($1.9 billion). Construction began in May 2026 and is scheduled for completion in June 2031. The project is expected to generate up to 7,000 direct jobs during construction.

In addition to the bridge across Todos os Santos Bay, the project includes four overpasses, two tunnels in Salvador, a new 22-kilometer highway in Vera Cruz and the duplication of an 8-kilometer section of the BA-001 highway. The complete highway system will total 46.8 kilometers.

Travel between Salvador and Vera Cruz currently depends on ferry services and takes about one hour. Once the bridge is completed, the crossing is expected to take approximately 15 minutes, improving connectivity between Salvador, Itaparica Island and the Recôncavo region of Bahia.

The Salvador-Itaparica Bridge is one of the largest infrastructure projects currently under construction in Brazil and also reflects expanding cooperation between Brazil and China in strategic investment, combining Chinese capital, engineering and technology in a project expected to transform Bahia's logistics, mobility and economy over the coming decades.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on July 1, 2026)