Brazil's government has announced a $75 million investment in the BR-319 highway through the Amazon rainforest, alongside an environmental protection plan to mitigate potential damage. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that the road would be 'the most modern road in the world' from an environmental perspective.
The highway, inaugurated in 1976 but largely unpaved, connects the northern states of Amazonas and Rondonia to the rest of Brazil, running through the sensitive rainforest and past Manaus, the Amazon's largest city. It also runs alongside the Madeira River, a major tributary of the Amazon that has suffered from droughts disrupting cargo transport.
Environmental measures announced include monitoring a 50-kilometre-wide strip on each side of the road, installation of inspection checkpoints and enforcement bases, and creation of new conservation units. The government also plans to hire a private company in 2028 to support enforcement.
Environmental groups, such as the Climate Observatory, have challenged the project in court, arguing that paving the road will accelerate deforestation. Scientific research shows that 95 per cent of forest clearing occurs within 5.5 kilometres of roads, and for every official kilometre, there are roughly three kilometres of unofficial roads.
Marcio Astrini, executive director of the Climate Observatory, criticised the timing of the plan, saying protections should have been implemented before paving began. He noted that under former President Jair Bolsonaro, simply announcing the road's reconstruction nearly doubled land grabbing and deforestation in the area. Minister George Santoro confirmed that the entire highway will be under contract and undergoing work by the end of June.
