Brazil’s roads budget faces major cuts

A series of major road projects in Brazil have had their budgets cut. Construction works for 56 motorway projects have seen budgets cut, and in some instances removed altogether. The Brazilian national department for transport infrastructure (Dnit) had a previous budget of US$1.59 billion for road development projects. This has now been cut to $1.04 billion, less than 33% of the budget for 2014. Projects to have been hit include widening the BR-316 in Piau State, widening the BR-364 in Rondonia State, building a new ring road for Maceio in Alagoas State and upgrading the BR-230 in Paraiba State and the BR-282 in Santa Catarina State. These all have had budgets eliminated entirely. New plans are being worked on in a bid to find affordable financing for the works however.