A street in the Brazilian city of Almirante Tamandaré, part of the Greater Curitiba metropolitan area, has become a viral sensation and a daily nightmare for residents. The Rua Nossa Senhora das Graças, known for its extreme incline, was recently treated by the local government with a layer of loose stones. The municipality stated the goal was to improve circulation for both vehicles and pedestrians on the challenging terrain.
However, the intervention appears to have worsened the situation. Video footage from the scene shows cars struggling and slipping on the newly placed rocks, while pedestrians face a significant risk of falling. Residents describe the daily ordeal of navigating the street, especially during rainy conditions, calling it a dangerous and exhausting struggle for basic tasks like commuting to work or catching a bus.
The street's notoriety is not new. According to the municipal government, the road is part of a housing development approved in 1953. Despite being over seven decades old, it has never been paved or received proper sidewalk installations. Before the recent stone placement, only a small section at the very top had a thin layer of asphalt and a horizontal "stop" sign, which were subsequently covered by the new stones.
Local residents report that accidents are a common occurrence. Long-time inhabitants note that most drivers and motorcyclists actively avoid the route due to its severity. Delivery drivers, in particular, face major disruptions to their work, often forced to park their motorcycles and complete deliveries on foot or take lengthy detours around the block to avoid the impassable slope.
The path to a permanent solution appears long and uncertain. The city administration confirms it has a paving project registered with the State Secretariat of Cities. This project is currently awaiting analysis before the formal bidding process for the construction work can even begin. Officials estimate the tender notice could be published within the next 90 to 120 days.
However, the state government has requested that the city first submit a specific report on safe pedestrian circulation given the terrain's conditions. The municipality must supplement its data for the review to advance, after which authorization for the bidding process will be granted. As of the latest reports, there is no confirmed date for when this critical step will be completed, leaving residents in limbo.
The situation highlights a conflict between immediate, low-cost interventions and long-term infrastructure planning. While the city's stone-laying effort was intended as a stopgap measure, it has drawn criticism for increasing hazards rather than mitigating them, underscoring the urgent need for a properly engineered and executed paving solution.
Based on reporting from g1.