Brazil's president inaugurates new Rio road tunnel

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has inaugurated a new road tunnel in Rio de Janeiro’s central port area as part of the city’s 450th anniversary celebrations.

It is part of several urban regeneration projects being carried out in Rio before it hosts the Olympic Games in 2016

The tunnel, which connects Rua Primeiro de Marco and Via Binario Porto, will operate one way only with a capacity of 55,000 vehicles per day.

A secondary security tunnel will run alongside.

Rousseff said the completion of the tunnel is proof that big projects are possible in the country.

She also reflected on the national significance of the city which was Brazil’s capital until it was moved to Brasilia in 1960.