The Minister for Sports, Orlando Silva, has today (15 February) monitored the progress of construction of the Mineirão stadium. With the Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Márcio Lacerda, the Federal Committee has also visited the construction of the viaduct which shall connect Antônio Carlos and Abraão Caram Avenues, and the work on the Boulevard Arrudas, in the city center.
The visits started with the viaduct. This work shall be essential for the plans of accessibility to the stadium, as Antônio Carlos Avenue crosses the city from North to South, being the main corridor providing access to the Mineirão, whether coming from the city center or from Confins Airport.
“We would like to complete the work in June, but we have issues of compulsory purchases, which means that things always take longer”, Márcio Lacerda explained to the minister during the visit. When the work started, the plan was to have everything ready by June 2011, but, as the mayor pointed out, the most likely date for completion is the end of the year.
The viaduct is an important intervention work for the future implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. “We see that Belo Horizonte is doing a good job, with this good partnership between municipality and state. All the interventions that the city is receiving, and shall still receive, shall remain as a legacy for the future, for the common citizen of Minas Gerais”, the Minister believes.
Bus Corridors
Mr. Silva and Mr. Lacerda talk about the implementation of the BRTs in the city. They feel that the system of rapid bus transport is the best solution for the World Cup. In addition, the mayor also reminds everyone that an Underground system has not been ruled out. “We have a meeting in Brasília tomorrow, to talk about the PAC 2 for urban mobility. Of course we shall go there and present the need for an Underground system, which is a legacy that shall always remain with the city. What we need right now is the Ring Road, this having been a commitment from the first PAC, and are now awaiting the reply from DNIT for the publication of the new Invitation to Bid”, Lacerda explains.
The Minister also talked about the work carried out in Belo Horizonte. “Sometimes we see a host city which is ahead as far as the stadium is concerned, but behind when it comes to airports. This is very common. In general, Belo Horizonte is one of the venues that is most ahead. We are closely following the issue of the airport at Confins, which needs the construction of a new terminal. However, President Dilma has already spoken to us, and said that the World Cup is an absolute priority”, said Mr. Silva.
Opening
As usual, Orlando Silva was also asked about the opening of the World Cup in 2014. Always remembering that this is a decision to be made by FIFA, the Minister has mentioned the cities of Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Brasília and Salvador as being main candidates for this honor. “The most important thing is that the cities are able to receive the games, even if the opening match is not awarded, as we shall have key moments during the World Cup, and also the Confederations Cup, which shall be an important test for Brazil”, he said.
highlights
04/05 | News
