Highway upgrade work is going ahead in North Brazil on route BR-135. The project has been facing challenges due to concerns over its impact on local communities, with work on one section being stalled since 2018.
The BR-135 route runs through Maranaho State in North Brazil, running between the city of São Luís on São Luís Island, and into Piaui State. Work on a 44km stretch of the BR-135 route was suspended following concerns over the effect the construction operation would have on indigenous people along this section.
The project has been revised so that construction personnel will not have contact with the indigenous people while the first phase of the work is carried out.