Having concluded 100% of the works, the road was inaugurated this Friday (Nov.17)
in Ouro Preto and Mariana
Samarco has completed work on the Estrada da Purificação, which connects the district of Antônio Pereira to the Morro de São João neighborhood in Ouro Preto (MG). The inauguration of the road, 100% finished, took place on Friday (17/Nov), in the municipalities of Ouro Preto and Mariana (MG), opening it up to vehicle traffic. The improvements are the answer to a long-standing request of the population of Antônio Pereira. The company's investments amount to around R$73.6 million.
"In addition to fulfilling our commitment to the community and the municipalities, this delivery is significant for us because of the benefits that paving the Estrada da Purificação will provide, such as greater safety and reduced travel time for the residents of Ouro Preto, especially those of the Antônio Pereira district of Mariana, and for those who need this access," said CEO Rodrigo Vilela.
The 7 km road was paved along its entire length and asphalted for 1 km at each end. The work included earthworks, deep and surface drainage, as well as signposting. The company complied with the community's request to install a sidewalk near the Alvorada neighborhood, making it safer for pedestrians.
"The paving meets a three-century-old demand, because the district of Antônio Pereira, being the closest, was cut off from Ouro Preto by the colossal mountain range, requiring communication via Mariana. Now, Antônio Pereira is integrated into Ouro Preto by greatly reducing the distance for light vehicles. In addition, the magnificent landscape is another tourist and cultural attraction that we all gain," said the mayor of Ouro Preto, Angelo Oswaldo.
"The Estrada da Purificação says a lot about our history and about the relationship of union and friendship between Mariana and Ouro Preto. We are people of the same origin, who celebrate achievements and face challenges in common. By inaugurating a new access between the two sister cities, we are also creating a new alternative for traffic. We are diverting vehicles from the historic center that previously only had one alternative route. Estrada da Purificação is another victory for our people," said the mayor of Mariana, Celso Cota.
The blocks used in the paving were made using 33% of Samarco's tailings, in line with the purpose of developing sustainable initiatives. In an open innovation model, the partnership between the company and the EMBRAPII Unit in Sustainable Mining, of the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP School of Mines), was the unit's inaugural project, studying new ways of using sandy iron ore tailings in the civil construction production chain.
According to the specific characteristics of the site, heavy vehicles with loads of more than 7 tons and a length of more than 8 meters are prohibited from using the road.
Paving the Purificação road is an environmental requirement under Samarco's Corrective Operating License (LOC), which the Company obtained in October 2019. Samarco obtained all the necessary environmental licenses and approvals to carry out the work, which began in May 2022. This road also contributes to preserving the region's historical heritage, considering archaeological and speleological parks, fauna and flora.
More investments
During the inaugural event, Samarco announced other investments in the region, with R$10.5 million earmarked for the Mariana Autonomous Water and Sewage Service (SAAE). The funds will be invested in the Serrinha water pipeline, which is part of the Santa Rita de Cássia system, which in addition to Santa Rita itself, supplies the neighborhoods of Santa Clara, Cabanas and Vale Verde, whose real estate occupation has increased greatly in recent years.
Of this total, R$1.5 million will be used voluntarily and R$9 million refer to compensation under the previous environmental licensing process.
