Flamengo opened the doors of the Ilha do Governador Stadium on Friday morning (April 07th) for a team from the Rio de Janeiro Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy (CREA-RJ) to inspect the progress of construction work. Accompanied by Vice President of Assets Alexandre Wrobel and Flamengo General Director Fred Luz, the engineers visited various areas of the arena and inspected the work being done to relocate the storm drain system that runs behind the East Sector stands.

 

This Thursday, images released in the press showed a hole between the East and North stands, causing concern among Flamengo fans. It should be noted that the work on the site is a result of numerous improvements the club has been implementing to the stadium's infrastructure to ensure the complete safety and comfort of its fans. 

Jorge Mattos, coordinator of the Specialized Chamber of Civil Engineering and main representative of CREA-RJ on Friday's visit, gave details of the inspection carried out and praised the work done by Flamengo:

We came here on a CREA-RJ inspection due to press reports that there was a structural problem with the bleachers' installation. What we found here is that, in terms of engineering, everything is in order. All the ARTs (Technical Responsibility Notes for Works and Services) were issued, and the professionals responsible for all the services and preventive services were executed to the best of their ability within the civil construction industry. So, there are no problems, nothing that indicates possible damage to the bleachers, given all the preventive measures being taken by Flamengo. I leave here very impressed, not only by the careful execution but also by the quality of the professionals we were referred to through the ARTs.

João Luís Casagrande, the club's technical engineering consultant, explained the work underway in the East sector.

"The purpose of the project is precisely to increase fan safety. Originally, there was a stormwater drain that ran beneath the stands, and this isn't recommended. What we're doing is diverting this drain, which now runs outside the stands. Next, the drain beneath the stands will be filled with concrete," commented Casagrande, concluding by saying that the change will make the site more resistant than the ground itself.

Work on the Ilha do Governador Stadium is expected to be completed at the end of April.