Roadblocks Hinder Infrastructure in Russia's Olympic Host City

The area is mainly a resort destination, but organizers foresee an entirely new city building up around what will, for three weeks, be host of the Olympics.

"It would require the construction of an entire new winter community in the north Caucasus mountains, the building of nearly 300 kilometres of roads, 100 kilometres of rail, 39 tunnels and 24 thermal and hydro power stations.

But in the three years since that decision, Russia has discovered that building a single temporary arena is one matter and creating an entire new region is quite another. For one thing, it seems not everyone wanted to come to the ice-ballet party. As recently as this week, Russian Transportation minister Igor Levitin admitted the pace of work on one new half-built Olympic-related road has been stymied by a single business owner who doesn't want to move."