Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and the longest highway in the country, with of extension. The road connect Fortaleza, Ceará, one of the largest Northeast Brazil metropolises, to the southern city of
Jaguarão
Jaguarão () is a municipality in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul located on the shores of the Jaguarão River, bordering Uruguay.
It lies a short distance inland from the Mirim Lagoon.
Geographical and historical proximity to ...
,
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
, in the border with
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
. It is also the longest highway in the country to be completely paved. It is considered one of the most important highways in the country, along with
BR-101
The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.Fortaleza,
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
,
Curitiba
Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...
and
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
, arguably the most important and busiest Brazilian highway. Numerous stretches of BR-116 highway have other official names.
The highway is especially busy along the Curitiba—São Paulo—Rio de Janeiro section. The Curitiba–São Paulo section–officially known as the Régis Bittencourt Highway (''Rodovia Régis Bittencourt'')–is nicknamed the "Highway of Death" ("''Rodovia da Morte''") due to its many weather-related accidents. The São Paulo—Rio de Janeiro section is officially named President Dutra Highway (''Rodovia Presidente Dutra'') and is the busiest section of BR-116, running into or close to 15 cities with over 200,000 inhabitants. The section between Novo Hamburgo and Porto Alegre is also heavily trafficked, and there is a strong movement of cargo between Porto Alegre and the Port of Rio Grande, in Pelotas.
Major cities directly served by BR-116 highway are: Fortaleza,
Salgueiro
Salgueiro is a city in Pernambuco, Brazil. It is located in the mesoregion of ''Sertão Pernambucano'' . Salgueiro covers an area of 1687 square kilometers and had in 2020 an estimated population of 61,249 inhabitants.
It is the see city of the R ...
,
Feira de Santana
Feira de Santana (; Portuguese for "Saint Anne's Fair") is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 619,609 according to IBGE's estimate in 2020. It is located 100 km northwest of Salva ...
,
Vitória da Conquista
Vitória da Conquista is a municipality in Bahia, Brazil, that has a population of approximately 341,000 people as of 2020, according to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). It is the third largest city in the state of Bahi ...
,
Teófilo Otoni
Teófilo Otoni is a municipality in northeast Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The population of the municipality was 140,937 in 2020 and the area is 3,242.818 km2.
Origin of the name
The city is named after (Vila do Príncipe, 27 January 1807 - ...
,
Governador Valadares
Governador Valadares is a Brazilian municipality in the countryside of Minas Gerais. In 2020, its population was 281,046 inhabitants, thus being the ninth most populated city in the state. It is an economical axis of the middle valley of the Doce R ...
,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
,
Volta Redonda
Volta Redonda () is the name of a municipality in the Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil with an area of 182.81 km2, located from 350m to 707m above the sea level (22°31'23" S, 44°06'15" W) and with a population of 273,988 inhabitants (estima ...
,
São José dos Campos
São José dos Campos (, meaning Saint Joseph of the Fields) is a major city and the seat of the Municipalities of Brazil, municipality of the same name in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Brazil. One of the leading industrial and res ...
,
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
,
Curitiba
Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...
,
Lages
Lages is a Brazilian municipality located in the central part of the state of Santa Catarina, in the region known in Portuguese as "Planalto Serrano".
It is located in the mountain region of the state and is the largest municipality of it. It ...
,
Caxias do Sul
Caxias do Sul (), is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, situated in the state's mountainous Serra Gaúcha region. It was established by Italian immigrants on June 20, 1890. Today it is the second largest city in the state of Rio Gr ...
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
,
Pelotas
Pelotas () is a Brazilian city and municipality (''município''), the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8&n ...
.
Duplications
In the southern region of the country, the highway is duplicated in the 70 km between
Guaíba
Guaíba is a city located in the Metropolitan Porto Alegre of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is on the shores of the Guaíba Lake.
History
In the current territory of the municipality of Guaíba there have ...
,
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
and
Novo Hamburgo
Novo Hamburgo (Portuguese for ''New Hamburg''; german: Neu-Hamburg) is a municipality in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, located in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, the state capital. As of 2020, its population was 247, ...
. The 211 km between
Guaíba
Guaíba is a city located in the Metropolitan Porto Alegre of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is on the shores of the Guaíba Lake.
History
In the current territory of the municipality of Guaíba there have ...
and
Pelotas
Pelotas () is a Brazilian city and municipality (''município''), the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8&n ...
is currently doubling. In November 2022, there were already 148 km duplicated and delivered on this section. There is also a small duplicate section between Curitiba and Mandirituba, towards the state of Santa Catarina.
In the Southeast Region of the country, the highway is doubled in the 400 km between
Curitiba
Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...
and
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, where it's called Rodovia Régis Bittencourt (almost all duplicated around the year 2000, the last stretch in the mountains was only completed in 2017), and in the 410 km between
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
and
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, where it's called Rodovia Presidente Dutra (doubled in 1967, it is the most important highway in the country, connecting the 2 largest cities). The connection between Rio de Janeiro and
Guapimirim
Guapimirim (, from Tupi 'little spring', ''guapi'' 'spring', ''mirim'' 'little'), is a Brazilian Municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro around 50km(31 miles) from its state capital, the city of Rio de Janeiro. Its in a region known as Baixad ...
has also been doubled since 1980.
In the Northeast Region of the country, the highway is duplicated in the 76 km between
Feira de Santana
Feira de Santana (; Portuguese for "Saint Anne's Fair") is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 619,609 according to IBGE's estimate in 2020. It is located 100 km northwest of Salva ...
On March 1, 1996, the stretch of highway between the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, known as the Rodovia Presidente Dutra, was granted to private companies, with the CCR Nova Dutra company being the current administrator. On the same day, a 144 kilometer section between the cities of
Duque de Caxias
Duque is a Spanish surname meaning "duke".
People
Notable people with the name include:
* Jaime Enrique Duque Correa (1943–2013), Colombian Roman Catholic bishop
* Andrés Duque (21st century), American activist
* Carlos Duque (1930–2014), Pa ...
São José dos Campos
São José dos Campos (, meaning Saint Joseph of the Fields) is a major city and the seat of the Municipalities of Brazil, municipality of the same name in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Brazil. One of the leading industrial and res ...
,
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
Image:ViaDutra.JPG, Rodovia Presidente Dutra in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
Image:BR116 Viaduto em Fortaleza.jpg, BR-116 in Fortaleza, Ceará
Image:Mirante Br 116 - panoramio.jpg, BR-116 in
Mirante
Mirante is a municipality in the state of Bahia in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million p ...
,
Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...
Image:MiradouroMG3.JPG, BR-116 in
Miradouro
Miradouro is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Zona da Mata and to the microregion of Muriaé. As of 2020, the estimated population was 10,787.
See also
* List of municipalities ...
,
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
Image:Rodovia Rio-Teresópolis (BR-116) - panoramio (cropped).jpg, BR-116 in
Guapimirim
Guapimirim (, from Tupi 'little spring', ''guapi'' 'spring', ''mirim'' 'little'), is a Brazilian Municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro around 50km(31 miles) from its state capital, the city of Rio de Janeiro. Its in a region known as Baixad ...
,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
Image:RodoviaRegisBittencourt.JPG, BR-116 in
Registro
Registro is a city near the Atlantic coast of São Paulo, Brazil. The population is 56,393 (2020 est.) in an area of 722 km². The elevation is 25 m. Registro in Portuguese means register, and this name was given to the city because it was th ...
,
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
Image:BR-116 Curitiba 2015 (13).JPG, BR-116 in
Curitiba
Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...
, Paraná
Image:AutopistaPlanaltoSul.JPG, BR-116 in Santa Catarina
Image:BR 116 - panoramio (3).jpg, BR-116 in
Vacaria
Vacaria is a municipality in the northeast of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
It is located at a latitude of 28° 30' 44" South and a longitude of 50° 56' 02" west, with an altitude of 971 meters. Its population in 2020 wa ...
,
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
Image:BR 116 - panoramio (2).jpg, BR-116 in Morro Reuter,
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
See also
*
BR-101
The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.Federal highways in Brazil