Rio Scrambles to Ready Subway Before Olympics

Line 4 was touted as Rio's most important Olympic infrastructure project, designed to transport passengers between Ipanema beach and the Olympic Park and Village.

Without the subway, athletes and fans will need to traverse the city's (internationally unpresentable) hills and shantytowns by road, and traffic jams will be inevitable. According to an article The Associated Press, transportation experts are beginning to worry that the system might not be fully tested before the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on August 5. 

Rio officials insist on their ability to complete the tests. "'Every hour counts,' Rodrigo Vieira, Rio de Janeiro's transportation head, told The Associated Press, insisting the job would be finished. 'We are working around the clock, 24/7 with 1,000 workers in each station.'"

On top of Brazil's presidential scandals, there's plenty to worry about going into the Games. Late last month, Rio state's acting governor declared a state of financial disaster. To make matters worse, other new infrastructure projects have encountered power outages, structural problems, and premature damage.