A part of the northern section opened on December 23, 2025, so I drove it in my own car on the 25th. The newly opened section starts near Arujá City, about 40 km along the Rodovia Presidente Dutra highway heading out of São Paulo City toward Rio de Janeiro. It loops north of Guarulhos International Airport and merges with the Fernão Dias Highway. This section is 24 km long and has two tunnels.
This highway has no toll booths, so there’s no stopping, which they call “free flow.” Thirty-two cameras are installed along this section. It is also made of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA), the same material as on F1 race circuits, so compared to standard pavement, it has higher durability and is less permeable to water, making it strong and long-lasting.
Driving on this smooth, quiet asphalt was, in fact, very safe and comfortable. For most of the highway, I saw lovely natural scenery, which was a pleasant experience. The highway has three lanes, giving it a spacious feel. I drove the highway on the Christmas holiday, just two days after it opened, so there were no trucks and only a few cars like ours, and that may be why it might have felt extra wide. But I think even with a number of large trucks on the road, it probably wouldn't feel cramped.
Construction of this 24-km section began in 2013 and was scheduled to finish in 2016, but it finally opened at the end of December 2025. There are several reasons for this delay of many years. Construction was halted for six years at one point because it faced contract termination issues. Technical complexity was also blamed. There was tunnel work, and at one stage, a landslide caused part of a tunnel to collapse, which meant previous construction work had to be fixed. Environmental issues arose because the route passes along the Cantareira mountain range. And the process of resettling families living near the highway was complex and took time.
The northern section of Rodoanel still has 20 km to go. They say construction will be completed within the year, but this section also involves tunnel work, and, as it is closer to urban areas, they will need to take care of vibration and noise.
The purpose of building Rodoanel is to change the traffic model from a radial layout, where all routes lead to the center, to a ring layout. This will allow them to reduce the number of trucks passing through São Paulo city center. It will also allow major highways in São Paulo to be interconnected. There will be easier access from distribution centers to Santos Port and Guarulhos Airport, and reducing cargo transit times will help cut costs. This highway is essential and vital for a major city like São Paulo.
My husband loves driving, so whenever a new section of Rodoanel opens, we go for a drive together. I remember being impressed when we crossed a 1,756-meter-long bridge in the southern section. I get excited when I think we might soon be able to drive Rodoanel’s entire length.
