Olympic building boom set to begin in Sochi

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Russia has completed organizational work for building facilities for the 2014 Winter Olympics and is ready to begin construction, Russian news agencies reported.

MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Russia has completed organizational work for building facilities for the 2014 Winter Olympics and is ready to begin construction, Russian news agencies reported.
    Putin made the assessment during a meeting with the presidential sports council in Sochi, the Black Sea resort city where the games are to be held.
    ''A long-term program of building facilities including 243 athletic, transportation, engineering and other facilities has been adopted. The state-owned corporation Olimpstroi has launched operations,'' Putin said, according to the Interfax news agency.
    Sochi won the competition for the event despite concerns that a near absence of existing facilities could present an overwhelming construction task.
    Russia will have to build all the ice sport venues, which are to be along the sea coast, as well as the Olympic villages, media centers and some snow sport venues, including ski jumping and the bobsled run.
    The plan also calls for building a light-rail system connecting the coastal venues to the ski sites in the rugged Caucasus Mountains about 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the east.

    — The Associated Press