TransBrasil concludes access ramp linking Av. Rodrigues Alves, in Rio de Janeiro

TransBrasil Last 30th, the TransBrasil Consortium delivered another important stage of the BRT Construction works in Rio de Janeiro. With 220m in extension, 4,60m width, 6 spans of 30m each, being one of them in mixed structure (metal beams + concrete slab) and the rest in prestressed concrete beams plus 40m of reinforced earth in its last segment, the access ramp to Rodrigues Alves Avenue and the new access to the Marcelo Alencar Tunnel were delivered and released for the use by carioca drivers. The new access ramp’s origin is the Gasómetro Viaduct, existing in a stretch that was part of the old Avenida Perimetral, ending at Av. Rodrigues Alves in the downtown direction.

Computational models were used to corroborate compliance with the loads expected in their new use, as well as tests of dynamic and static loads in superstructure, and inspections and repairs on the different structural elements. The Access Ramp interconnects the access for those coming from important roadways such as Av. Brasil, Linha Vermelha and Linha Amarela and the Rio Niterói Bridge, facilitating access to the central region of Rio, Santos Dumont Airport, Aterro do Flamengo and the city’s South Zone.

With the new access ramp drivers will have direct access to the Marcelo Alencar Tunnel, optimizing the time previously spent with slow traffic, due to the large daily flow of vehicles in the region influenced by the accesses to the Leopoldina da Silveira station, Presidente Vargas Avenue and the location of the Novo Rio Bus Station, as well as to INTO (National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics),which receive large numbers of people passing through daily. Throughout the entire process of building the Access Ramp, due to its important location, several obstacles were identified and addressed through a study of local traffic and planning carried out in conjunction with CET-Rio (RJ Traffic Engineering Company) and the municipal administration, which, in partnership with the Consortium, organized the closing of important stretches of roads and accesses necessary for the execution of the project.