Or take Cologne's opera house. Built in the 1950s as a symbol of modern democracy, it was a cultural jewel. By 2012, it needed renovation. The plan sounded simple: three years of work, reopening in 2015. Fast-forward to today: The building, which comprises the opera itself, a theater with two stages, and a children's opera with its own stage, remains a construction site.
Ten years ago, I walked the route of HS2, the 140-mile railway proposed to run from London to Birmingham, to discover what lay in its path. Nothing had actually been constructed of this, supposedly the first phase of a high-speed line going north. The only trace was the furtive ecological consultants mapping newts and bats and the train's looming presence in the minds of those who lived along the route.
Asbestos cleanup, tight work windows and other TTC delays have slowed the build out of 5G cellular service in Toronto's subway system, and TTC staff now say they don't expect Rogers Communications Inc. will be able to meet a federally imposed deadline that looms at the end of this month. A new report detailing updates on the transit agency's major projects, which is set to go before a Toronto Transit Commission board meeting next Wednesday, says Rogers' 5G implementation is at risk of missing targets. But the document cites issues related to the transit system itself, rather than Rogers' efforts.
The Olympic torch relay begins in December, starting in Rome and passing through all of Italy's provinces before the Olympic flame is to be carried into Milan's Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, which is to host the opening ceremony. How advanced are preparations for the Olympic Games? The Winter Games will be expensive, that much is certain. The total investment for the Olympics is expected to be around 3.5 billion ($4.7 billion). This covers a total of 98 projects, 47 of which are directly related to the Winter Games. However, according to data from the infrastructure company Simico, one in four of the planned projects will not be completed on time for the Games. For example, the construction of the new ice hockey arena is not expected to be completed until shortly before the opening ceremony on February 6. An event planned to test the facility prior to the start of the Games has had to be postponed.
