With 500 days to go until the World Cup, Minas Gerais is already ready.
The new Mineirão stadium will be inaugurated with a match between Cruzeiro and Atlético; Independência stadium, also renovated, will serve as a training center during the World Cup.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil will begin on June 12, 2014, and two stadiums in Minas Gerais are already ready for the mega sporting event: Arena Independência and Mineirão. Arena Independência will host the official matches, while Independência will be used as an official training ground, where the national teams will train before the games.
“Having two stadiums ready a year and a half before the World Cup means that preparations for the Cup in Minas Gerais are being taken very seriously. Now our focus is on operations. The World Cup is an opportunity to promote Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais to the world. Visitors and sports, political and business delegations will have the pleasure of experiencing Minas Gerais hospitality,” he states.Secretary of State for the World Cup in Minas Gerais, Tiago Lacerda.
Stadiums
O Government of Minas The company modernized the two largest stadiums in Belo Horizonte: Independência and Mineirão. Both renovations are complete, and the inaugural game at Mineirão is scheduled for February 3rd with a classic match between Cruzeiro and Atlético, valid for the Minas Gerais Championship. Mineirão has a capacity for 62.160 fans, 98 VIP boxes, 2.925 parking spaces, two high-definition screens; a restaurant overlooking the field; a press area for approximately 400 journalists with a press conference room, studios, interview area, a section equipped with tables, power outlets and internet access; 7.524 m2 of commercial area; 80 restrooms; 47 shops; a command and control center with 364 cameras spread throughout the stadium; universal accessibility (622 reserved seats, eight elevators, two ramps, 38 restrooms for people with disabilities).
Training
By 2014, approximately 20 people will be trained in projects involving partnerships between the Government of Minas Gerais and the City Hall of Belo Horizonte with the private sector (language courses, tourist information agents, tour guides, kitchen assistants, chambermaids, waiters, receptionists, business management, external hospital emergency planning, and principles of disaster medicine). Additionally, 1000 volunteers will be trained for the 2013 Confederations Cup through the Brazil Volunteer Program, for which applications can be submitted until February 16th via the website. www.copa2014.gov.br
Hospitality
Three new hotels are already operating in Belo Horizonte and about 50 are under construction in the capital, of which 40% are 4 or 5-star category (21 developments). By 2014, the number of beds in BH could reach 55.109 (sum of current beds in BH and the region up to 100 km + new beds under construction in BH + new beds planned for the RMBH).
Airport
The Federal Government's project is underway and is scheduled for completion in December 2013. According to Infraero, the forecast is that, in 2014, Tancredo Neves International Airport will have an expanded capacity from 10,2 million passengers per year (2011) to 16,5 million passengers, with 11,6 million in passenger terminal 1 and 4,9 million in the remote terminal; a new cargo loading and unloading area; expansion of the commercial area; replacement of escalators; installation of 17 elevators and renovation of check-in points.
Urban mobility
The Belo Horizonte City Hall is keeping the works on schedule. It's already possible to see the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations under construction, with several milestones 100% completed. The Boulevard Arrudas project is progressing, with milestone 1 100% complete and milestone 2 88,87% complete. The Cristiano Machado BRT is 59,21% complete; the Antônio Carlos-Pedro I BRT has milestones 1 (Abrahão Caram viaduct) and 4A (roadworks between the city center and Pampulha) 100% complete; milestone 2, 42%; milestone 3, 33,49%; and milestone 4B, 71% complete. By the 2014 World Cup, Belo Horizonte will have two exclusive BRT corridors on Cristiano Machado and Antônio Carlos/Pedro I avenues, which meet in the central region. This will reduce the number of bus lines operating in the city center from 136 to 18.
Together, the State Government and the City Hall are working to be 100% ready for the World Cup in 2014. "With our preparations on schedule, we have proven that we know how to do it, and do it well. Everyone will benefit from the World Cup, which will generate economic growth, create job opportunities and professional training, in addition to improvements in sports and event infrastructure and transportation, which will be our main legacies," comments Flávia Rohlfs, coordinator of the Municipal Executive Committee for the 2014 World Cup.