The tunnel will directly link the cities of Santos and Guarajá located on either side of the road leading to Brazil’s largest seaport. Royal HaskoningDHV says it will relieve the burden on existing passenger ferry services and significantly reduce the driving time for freight vehicles.

Suzette Schreuder, spokesperson for Royal HaskoningDHV, told Port Strategy: “The port will be further developed and extended on the Guarajá side. Currently, staff working at the port have to travel by ferryboat to the port and the trucks travelling from the port to the city have to make major detours of 50km, so the new tunnel will significantly decrease traffic.”

The technology required for immersed tunnels has been used for projects in the Netherlands including the Second Coen Tunnel for the Port of Amsterdam, the Second Benelux Tunnel for the Port of Rotterdam and two tunnels in the route of the HSL-Zuid high speed rail link.

Ms Schreuder added: “These tunnels have significantly boosted the economic development of the city and the Port of Amsterdam during the last 50 years.”

Construction on the tunnel is expected to begin in 2015.