The toll plazas located in the Pelotas roadway hub in southern Brazil will cease operations at midnight on Wednesday, marking the end of a contract between the federal government and the concessionaire Ecovias Sul that lasted for 28 years. This development affects four toll plazas: Canguçu, Rio Grande (both on BR-392), and Pelotas and Jaguarão (both on BR-116). Motorists will no longer have to pay R$ 19.60 at each plaza, a fee recognized as one of the highest in the country, contributing to rising costs for transportation and travel in the region.

Truck drivers will see even more significant relief from these tolls. For example, those traveling between Porto Alegre and Rio Grande are projected to save approximately R$ 350 with the elimination of these fees. Current tolls for large vehicles range from R$ 39.10 to R$ 117.40 depending on the vehicle's axle count, with a notable example being an R$ 235 toll for a 9-axle truck. Such costs have been a strain on the transportation industry, prompting concerns from drivers about the economic viability of their routes.

With the termination of toll fees, management of these road segments will revert to the National Department of Infrastructure, which may lead to changes in how maintenance and traffic flow are handled in the area. The end of these tolls is expected to have a positive impact on local travel and freight costs, potentially stimulating economic activity in the region following the long-standing burden of high toll fees.