The first detonation of rocks to construct the Transolímpica tunnel, which will go through the Engenho Velho Mountain in Rio’s West Zone, took place on the morning of Friday, 8 November, on the eve of the start of the 1,000-day countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This project is fundamental to the holding of the Games, given that it will connect the Athletes’ Village and Olympic Park in Barra to the X Park in Deodoro.

The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral, Mayor Eduardo Paes, and the president of the Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, accompanied the operation.

“It’s a symbolic date. I am delighted by these actions and schedules that are under way. This is one of the greatest legacies that the Rio Olympic Games will leave to the city, which has everything to gain by extending its limits”, said Nuzman.

Transolímpica will have two three-lane carriageways extending for 23 kilometres and passing through two tunnels. Two of the three lanes will be assigned for cars and one will be an express corridor as part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, with 18 stations and two passenger terminals.

Officials and engineers celebrate the first blasting for the tunnel (Photo: Beth Santos)

The tunnel now being excavated will be the fifth longest in the city, it will cross the neighbourhoods of Curicica, Taquara, Jardim Sulacap and Magalhães Bastos. It will have control sub-stations, 24-hour monitoring, its own power generator and a technical support area for emergency teams. Together with the Transoeste, Transcarioca and Transbrasil BRTs, Transolímpica will contribute to high-capacity transportation. According to the Municipal Construction Work Secretariat, construction is scheduled for completion in December 2015.