Buriti is already benefiting from the construction of a highway to Araguatins.
The state government is constructing the stretch of the TO-010 highway between the municipalities of Araguatins and Buriti, in the Bico do Papagaio region; the entire 33,81 km length of the highway already has earthworks, bridges, culverts, and drainage systems, and last week the asphalt paving work began; the investment in the project is R$ 32 million and the highway is scheduled for completion in September; the population is celebrating: "With the asphalt, it will be good, no one will complain. When the asphalt is finished, more bus lines will pass through, and even taxis."
Tocantins 247 - The state government is constructing the stretch of the TO-010 highway between the municipalities of Araguatins and Buriti, in the Bico do Papagaio region. The entire 33,81 km length of the highway already has earthworks, bridges, culverts, and drainage systems completed, and asphalt paving work began last week. Completion and delivery of the highway are scheduled for September of this year.
According to the state government, paving this stretch of road benefits the entire region. But the main beneficiaries are the residents of smaller towns, such as Buriti and São Sebastião, who constantly need to travel to Araguatins to study or handle banking matters. Araguatins also has health services, bank branches, and educational institutions, with a campus of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFTO) and another of the University of Tocantins (Unitins).
Ari Silva, a resident of the rural area of Buriti, says that access to both Araguatins and Buriti was very difficult because of the mudslides. "When a car got stuck, everything stopped because others coming couldn't get through. It was very difficult. Now, with this asphalt, it will be easier for us to study and to resolve anything, whether in Araguatins or Buriti," he explains, highlighting that the 'detour' through Augustinópolis is more expensive.
Besides the dirt road access, residents of Buriti could go to Araguatins by passing through Augustinópolis, which increases the journey by about 30 km, as retired civil police officer Brasilmar Lima Caldas recalls. "For those of us who have business with banks, we always went through Augustinópolis, or we resolved those banking matters there, but Araguatins is closer, and the service is even better. And this road was very bad; we preferred to take the longer route, but we didn't risk going through here. For all these reasons, this road is very viable for us in Buriti," he rejoices.
Built by the state government with an investment of R$ 32 million, the highway will also benefit babaçu coconut collector Sebastião Ramiro, who transports his product on the back of a donkey to one of the collection points of Tobasa Bioindustrial de Babaçu S/A, which is headquartered in Tocantinópolis.
According to the extractive worker, the paved road will mean more buses running between the two cities, benefiting residents of rural areas like himself. "With the paved road, things will be good, nobody will complain. When the paving is finished, there will be more bus lines, and even taxis," he stated.
Highways
In the Bico do Papagaio region, in addition to the TO-010 highway (on the Araguatins-Buruti stretch), the state government is also constructing another stretch: from Ananás to Araguatins, and the TO-126 highway, which connects Maurilândia to Itaguatins.