Brazil plans to offer the private sector 11 federal highway concession contracts throughout 2027, backed by 102.7 billion reais—roughly US$20.54 billion—in planned investments. The Ministry of Transport expects this pipeline to keep the road segment among the most dynamic in the country in terms of business generation, regardless of the outcome of the Brazilian presidential elections.
Throughout 2027, the federal government will roll out public notices between March and August, with auctions slated to run from June through December. The portfolio features nine new projects alongside two contractual optimization auctions.
Those nine new undertakings involve the duplication of 373.87 kilometers of highways and the implementation of 513.36 kilometers of additional lanes. Meanwhile, the two optimization auctions target previously tendered concession contracts that were returned to the federal government by the companies responsible for the original operation. These specific optimizations cover the duplication of 195.2 kilometers and the implementation of 36.93 kilometers of additional lanes.
The 2027 Auction Calendar and Route Details
The Ministry of Transport structured the 2027 release schedule to maintain a steady flow of private capital. The first half of the year features two major gateway auctions in June: the Rota de Integração do Sul and the Rota Portuária do Sul.
July sees the arrival of the Rota Vale do Itajaí – Malha Catarinense, Lot 01, and the Rota Meio-Oeste – Malha Catarinense, Lot 03. Moving into the autumn months, the Vale do Café Route in Rio de Janeiro follows with a September auction date.
October brings two more high-profile additions: the Transbrasiliana Highway in São Paulo and the Itaqui Port Route in Maranhão. November accelerates the pace further with auctions for the Northern Santa Catarina Route – Santa Catarina Network, Lot 02, and the Southern Plateau Route.
The year finishes in December with two final logistics corridors. The Rota do Açu, spanning sections across Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, joins the Rota Centro-Sul Baiano in Bahia to close out the 2027 auction calendar.
| Project Route / Lot | State Coverage | Auction Month (2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Rota de Integração do Sul & Rota Portuária do Sul | Not specified | June |
| Rota Vale do Itajaí – Malha Catarinense (Lot 01) & Rota Meio-Oeste – Malha Catarinense (Lot 03) | Santa Catarina | July |
| Vale do Café Route | Rio de Janeiro | September |
| Transbrasiliana Highway & Itaqui Port Route | São Paulo & Maranhão | October |
| Northern Santa Catarina Route – Santa Catarina Network (Lot 02) & Southern Plateau Route | Santa Catarina | November |
| Rota do Açu & Rota Centro-Sul Baiano | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, & Bahia | December |
Institutional Maturity and Political Continuity
The executive branch race pits incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the left-wing candidate for re-election, against Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing representative. Despite the tight electoral race and the various differences between the two, neither of them has signaled any changes to the highway concessions portfolio.
“The Brazilian highway sector shows greater institutional and regulatory maturity, with relatively consolidated contractual models and experience accumulated by investors, financiers, ANTT [National Land Transportation Agency, the sector’s regulatory body] and the granting authority. Any changes should occur more in the fine-tuning of the contracts than in the fundamental structure of the concessions, especially regarding tariff policy, risk-sharing mechanisms, mandatory investments, and the rules for economic–financial rebalance,” Alberto Sogayar, a lawyer specialized in infrastructure and partner at the law firm SA Advogados, told BNamericas.
Beyond 2027: BNDES Partnerships and Future Corridors
The federal government’s highway concessions program is not limited to 2027. The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) recently entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Transport so the institution can develop concession structures for another 3.137 kilometers of roadways.
Through this pact, the financial institution takes charge of creating private-sector concession proposals for five highway segments spread across the states of Tocantins, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Alagoas.
These initiatives encompass 775 kilometers of BR-153 across Pará and Tocantins; 678 kilometers of BR-010 located in Maranhão and Pará; 717 kilometers of BR-226 spanning Piauí, Maranhão, and Tocantins; 473 kilometers of BR-116 running through Ceará, Paraíba, and Pernambuco; and 494 kilometers of BR-104 situated in Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Alagoas. Officials anticipate that all these concession structuring efforts will reach completion prior to the close of 2030.
