On January 9, 1969, the Rio-Niterói Construction Consortium (CCRN), formed by Construtora Ferraz Cavalcanti, Construtora Brasileira de Estradas, Empresa de Melhoramentos e Construções S.A., and Servix Engenharia S.A., began work on the bridge.

Two years later, faced with technical difficulties, repeated delays, and even work stoppages, Mário Andreazza, then Minister of Transport, ordered that construction be taken over by the group that had placed second in the bidding process—the Guanabara Construction Consortium Ltd. (CCGL), composed of Camargo Corrêa S.A., Mendes Jr. S.A., and Rabello S.A. During this second phase, on April 27, 1971, Ecex (Sociedade Anônima Empresa de Construção e Exploração da Ponte Presidente Costa e Silva) was created.