Falls Highway: tourism sector asks DNIT and DER-PR to review access to airport and park

The main road linking the city to Foz do Iguaçu International Airport and Iguaçu National Park has become a mobility issue. On July 31, Foz do Iguaçu's Integrated Tourism Management filed formal letters with DNIT and DER-PR requesting a technical meeting about access ramps and return lanes that were part of the executive plan for the widening of the Falls Highway (BR-469) but were never built. Neither agency has replied yet.

The sector's biggest concern is the removal of the ramp that would give direct airport entry to drivers coming from the National Park direction. Without it, motorists must continue toward downtown to the next turnaround and drive about five extra kilometers to reach the terminal. "It increases travel time, can create queues and even raise the risk of a passenger missing a flight," said Fernando Antônio Martin Maye, coordinator of the Integrated Management and president of Fundo Iguaçu.

The list goes on. Also left out were a return loop for traffic heading from downtown to the park and a turnaround near the Park's Visitor Center; for that stretch, the group suggests a small roundabout to give tourism vehicles direct access to the old gate again.

The widening's executive plan was funded by Fundo Iguaçu, which sits on the Management alongside the Municipal Tourism Department, Itaipu Binacional, Itaipu Parquetec and Visit Iguassu. The sector notes that new hotels and attractions are expected along the road in the coming years, which should push demand for well-designed access even higher.

There is a recent precedent for dialogue: the three pedestrian walkways in the plan had also been dropped during construction and were later confirmed by DNIT after a meeting in Brasília arranged by Itaipu Binacional. The goal now is to repeat that outcome for the ramps and return lanes before the road is formally handed over. "We believe common sense will prevail and that it will be possible to incorporate the access points from the original plan," Maye said.

Work on the BR-469 has reached 84% completion, with sections already open to traffic and delivery expected in 2026. The Integrated Management acknowledges the road's safety and capacity gains and says it is seeking information and dialogue to bring the responsible engineers together before the highway is delivered.