In a ceremony Wednesday, Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, marked the beginning of construction of a major system of tunnels between Adler and the Krasnaya Polyana mountains that will play a key role in the delivery of the road and railway connecting the Sochi 2014 Coastal Cluster with the ski venues in the Mountain Cluster.
The system of tunnels, located near Ahshtyr, a village in the Adler district of Sochi, will consist of a 2.2km road tunnel, a 2.5km rail tunnels and a 2.3km escape tunnel. The 50km road and railway that will play a vital role in the Sochi 2014 Games will include 26.5km of road, rail and escape tunnels and more than 35km of bridges and trestles.
Kozak said in a press release, “the infrastructural developments being achieved demonstrate the impetus being brought to the entire Sochi region by the Olympic and Paralympic project. This kind of innovation will enhance quality of life for the area’s residents, and increase convenience of visitors.
“The first major stage of construction for the most complex Sochi 2014 Olympic facilities has begun. This involves work on a huge scale, including the development of temporary access roads as well as the electricity and water supplies necessary for highways construction. More than 15,000 Sochi residents are already benefiting from improved transport links as work continues”, he said.
Dmitry Cherneyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014 added, “following construction, travel between Adler and Krasnaya Polyana will take only 30 minutes by train and 40 minutes by road making Sochi 2014’s plan the most compact in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games”.
The entire project will be completed in 2013.
