Floods: two federal highways are blocked in RO; Acre is cut off by land

Iury Lima – Cenarium Magazine

VILHENA (RO) – BR-364, the main federal highway in the State of Rondônia, and BR-421 are blocked with no release expected, according to the Federal Highway Police (PRF), due to the advance of Jamari River on the tracks, caused by rains. Because of the blockages, the state of Acre is isolated by land.

The waters began to cover the BR-364 highway last Thursday, the 24th. It is not possible to continue along the stretch between Ariquemes (202 kilometers from Porto Velho) and Itapuã do Oeste (112 kilometers from the capital). “The water, at that point, is passing 1 meter and 60 centimeters,” informed to CENARIUM, the PRF/RO. Therefore, there is no prediction of opening until this Saturday, 26.

On BR-421, the blockade is between Ariquemes and Monte Negro (municipality located 251 kilometers from the capital of Rondônia). The site was closed during the night of Friday the 25th “due to lack of safety conditions for traffic”, according to the Federal Highway Police. There, the Jamari River began to advance on the morning of Friday the 25th. With the situation already considered critical, the PRF blocked the road around 5 pm.

Congestion on BR-364

Last Thursday the 24th, vehicles leaving Porto Velho were unable to reach the cities in the Central and Southern Cone regions of Rondonia. Already the next morning, a team from the Military Fire Department was on site providing support to the PRF agents monitoring the region. In addition, the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) is evaluating the situation of the interdicted stretch, Km 540, which also provides access to the city of Alto Paraíso.

Because of the interdiction, hundreds of trucks have been stopped for more than 24 hours, forming a traffic jam of more than 20 kilometers, according to the police.

Acre is isolated

The interdiction of BR-364, at the point near the municipality of Ariquemes, left Acre isolated by land for the second time since the historic flood of 2014, when the Madeira River exceeded 19 meters.

The isolation was also confirmed by the Federal Highway Police of the member state of Legal Amazon. The Acre government says it is “learning about the situation. The Dnit said it is working to “reopen the road”.

See the situation of RO’s federal highways after the advance of the waters