With the Olympic Games less than two months away, Rio's Transport Secretary Rodrigo Vieira, said this Wednesday (15) that work on metro Line 4 cannot afford to face any more delays.

He confirmed the new metro line, which will link the Barra da Tijuca, where the Olympic park is located, and Ipanema, would be finished in time for the opening of the games.

"Allowing for more delays is just not feasible," said the Secretary, "but we are confident that the line will be up and running by August 1."

This Wednesday Vieira appeared at the inauguration of the São Conrado station, the second of six to be opened over the next months. The first of the new stations, at the Nossa Senhora da Paz square in Ipanema, opened in May.

Line 4 should have been finished at the beginning of this year.

The work needs a further R$ 989 million (US$ 284 million) for its completion. The sum will be loaned to the state by the federal government.

According to the Secretary, the interim President Michel Temer, during a visit to Rio on Tuesday (14), assured officials that the budget would be available by the beginning of next week.

The Secretary confirmed that the line will open for passengers on August 1. Until the Paralympic final, on September 18, Line 4 will be restricted for use only by Olympic spectators and workers, who will be asked to show credentials or tickets before boarding. During the Olympic period, the metro line will function between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m.

From mid September the line will be open to the general public, operating on a limited basis from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Secretary also revealed that the Council had an alternative plan in place for the Olympics, just in case the metro work was not finished in time.

"Any large-scale project like this must have a back-up plan. We are confident that the line will be ready by August 1, but, nevertheless, it would still be an error not to have a plan B," said the Secretary.

Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS

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	Li Ming/Xinhua
	Photo taken on June 2, 2016 shows a crane working on the trail of metro line 4 station "Nossa Senhora da Paz" in Rio de Janeiro