160 miles of gridlock: Traffic fuels concern for Brazil's World Cup

[unhappycamper]

http://www.latimes.com/world/latinamerica/la-fg-ff-wn-brazil-traffic-world-cup-20140418,0,4682861.story

Drivers headed from Sao Paulo to the coast for the Easter holiday weekend faced road accidents and traffic gridlock, reports local television station SBT.

160 miles of gridlock: Traffic fuels concern for Brazil's World Cup
By Vincent Bevins
April 18, 2014, 3:53 p.m.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Highways and bus transit ground to a halt in parts of Brazil early Friday, and flights were delayed as Brazilians launched on their long Easter holiday weekend.

Brazil's transportation system has been the subject of heated debate recently. Some worry that it will buckle under the pressure of thousands of visitors who will descend on the country in June for soccer's World Cup tournament. The country is struggling to finish transportation facilities and stadiums. Others say its experience hosting major events such as the annual Carnaval or last year's visit by Pope France make it uniquely prepared to handle huge crowds.

In the largely Roman Catholic country, many families travel over the extended Easter holiday, putting pressure on already crowded highways, airports, and bus terminals.

The state of Sao Paulo, the country's largest, set a new traffic record Thursday with more than 160 miles of roads frozen in gridlock. Salvador, another World Cup host city, reported jams into Friday. On Thursday, 11% of flights in the country were delayed, according to official data reported by local media.