Should there be no problems, the work on the Arena das Dunas, which is the stadium which is lagging furthest behind in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, should start on September 15th.
This is when the Government of Rio Grande do Norte plans to implode the upper part of the Machadão, a stadium which was opened in 1972 and which will now be demolished due to the World Cup in Natal. The forecast is that the bidding documents for security measures for the implosion will be produced by July 15th.
However, in spite of the Government’s promises, the construction of the Arena das Dunas is by no means guaranteed. The Government needs to submit a drainage project for the surroundings, assessed at R$ 126 million. Without this, the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and City Planning may not sign the license for the work to commence.
The project has been included in the second phase of the Growth Acceleration Programme (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento 2 - PAC 2) and the funds are currently being analyzed at the Brazilian Federal Savings Bank (Caixa Econômica Federal – CEF) which requested some small change to the project as presented by Natal City Hall.
“The Arena will only get its final occupancy permit from Semurb when this drainage issue has been solved”, the Assistant Secretary of Planning of the Secretariat of Public Works (Semopi), Walter Fernandes de Miranda Neto, said to the Tribuna do Norte newspaper, forecasting commencement of work for the end of this year.
Demolition
After the implosion of the upper ring of the Machadão, the lower part of the stadium and also the Machadinho gymnasium will be mechanically demolished. In the meantime, OAS, the company responsible for the work, will start assembling the work site for the removal of the water ducts, sewerage connections and electricity networks.
The area of the Machadão/Machadinho complex has been boarded up. Inside the stadium, the City Hall started the removal of the iron railings, chairs, light fittings, sashes, hydraulic materials and also bathroom crockery, all of which can be reused. The grass is being replanted at the worksites of the main thoroughfares of the city.
Despite being responsible for the World Cup work project that is furthest behind, the State Secretary for the World Cup, Demétrio Torres, still says that the work is running to schedule. “This was all foreseen”, he says.
According to the Secretary, there is the need for at least two months of preparation before the implosion of the stadium, so that there is no risk to the residents and commercial operations in the surrounding area. “All care will be taken and also security measures will be seen and reviewed up to the moment of the implosion”.
Houses, residential buildings and also commercial buildings within a radius of one kilometer from the stadium will be notified and will receive visits from expert inspectors, so that guidance may be given.
The Government has also promised to pay compensation for the properties that suffer any kind of damage or which show cracks after the detonation of the explosives.
For the seven terminals to be ready by 2013, the Government has monitored the work on a daily basis, the Minister explained. In addition, he remembered, there is also structural work in progress in most national public seaports, to improve cargo handling.
highlights
04/05 | News
