Rio overpass demolished as part of Olympic redevelopment

Mike Krumboltz

Hosting the Olympics is an honor. It's also a lot of work: Host cities build stadiums, construct hotels and, in some cases, even blow up highways to get ready to handle the massive influx of athletes and spectators.

Case in point: Rio.

Photographs captured demolition of part of the Perimetral overpass on April 20. The destruction of the stretch of road is just one part of the city's plans to redevelop in preparation for the 2016 Olympics.

Nobody can say Rio isn't taking its job seriously.  The demolition drew plenty of onlookers who marveled at the overpass's collapse.

This is the most recent part of the highway to be destroyed. Another was demolished on Nov. 24, 2013; that included "29 spans and 232 beams that together weigh 5,104 tons," according to odebrecht.com, website of the Brazilian construction and engineering multinational corporation.

The Rio Olympics aren't scheduled to open until Aug. 5, 2016. However, prep work isn't something to be left until the last minute.

Anybody remember #sochiproblems?

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