Belém–Brasília Highway

The Belém–Brasília Highway (Portuguese: Rodovia Belém–Brasília) is a set of portions of six federal highways of Brazil, of which each portion contributes to the function of connecting the Atlantic port city of Belém in the northern state of Pará and the Brazilian Federal District Brasília in the southern interior.

The Belém–Brasília Highway designation applies (between Belém and each respective city) to the following routes: It also applies to In each case, the route in question extends beyond one or both of the cities that demarcate the respective stretch of the Belém–Brasília Highway, while the stretch(es) beyond lack that designation.

Its construction was one of the highest achievements of road engineering, due to the enormous difficulties faced by designing it and by the construction crews (more than 5,000 water courses had to be conquered, and new ways of bulldozing and felling massive trees higher than 50 m and with girths exceeding 4 to 5 m in diameter had to be devised.

Initially it was a dirt road, but in the succeeding years it was macadamized and more permanent bridges were built.

Many agricultural settlements and entire new cities, with its suite of commerce, industry, etc., sprang up along the highway.