Brazil News
| MANAUS, Brazil – The governor of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, Omar Jose Abdel Aziz, confirmed on Monday that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will be present for the inauguration of the Rio Negro Bridge on Monday, October 24th. The bridge links the capital, Manaus to Iranduba.
Bridge over the Rio Negro
The governor said, during a visit to the bridge Monday, that former president Lula is hoping to fit the inauguration into his schedule. The mega-project came to fruition during Lula's presidency. Although the bridge was a project of the state, it enjoyed support of the Federal Government and President Lula.
According to the National Economic Development Bank, the total investment in the bridge is about R$513 million (U.S. $290 million) and for the project, which includes access roads and highways, about R$1 billion (U.S. $569 million).
The bridge, which spans the Rio Negro and is 2.17 miles in length, can be seen from outer space (it is clearly visible on google earth). The bridge connects the Northern shore of the Amazon to the Southern shore and thus to the rest of the country. Currently, motorists take a four-day ferry ride from Belem—that will be replaced by a five-minute drive.
The highway going South from Manaus, the BR-319, was swallowed by the mighty Amazon jungle during the 1990s. Although opponents of rebuilding the highway have been successful thus far in preventing it from being rebuilt, supporters say the highway will be rebuilt soon.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
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