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City Hall begins major flood prevention works in Realengo
Published on 19/07/2025 - 16:01 | Updated on 19/07/2025 - 16:20
Project for the swimming pool to be built in Realengo - Reproduction Rio de Janeiro City Hall, through the Rio-Águas Foundation, began a series of major flood prevention projects in the Realengo region of the West Zone this Saturday (July 19). A new drainage system will be implemented to mitigate the disruption caused by flooding on rainy days in the neighborhood.
The program will include the construction of a flood protection reservoir for the region, holding approximately 20 million liters of water. To date, the investment will total approximately R$123,5 million, with funding from the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Cities, which coordinates the New PAC program, and Caixa Econômica Federal.
"We secured funding from the Federal Government to address the city's three main flooding problems: Jardim Maravilha, the Acari River Basin, and Realengo. Just because construction begins doesn't mean the problem is gone, but we've begun to minimize them. I'm very pleased to be able to provide this response to such an important region as Realengo. We've already built Realengo Park, which will be expanded, and we will continue investing heavily in the areas of the city that need it most," stated Mayor Eduardo Paes.
Representing the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the National Secretary of Environmental Sanitation of the Ministry of Cities, Leonardo Picciani, highlighted the importance of the partnership between the City of Rio and the Federal Government.
"The City Hall had this project planned and ready, and when the opportunity arose to provide the funding, we approved it. Now we're migrating this project to the PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), which ensures we won't have any budgetary problems. Complaints are constant here; when summer begins and the rains arrive, the agony sets in. We're very happy to be initiating this major project together with the City Hall."
At this stage, Bernardo de Vasconcelos Street, Santa Cruz Avenue, some cross streets and a section of the Catarino River will benefit from drainage.
With the construction, a second storm drain will be built for the waters of the Catarino River, reinforcing the river's drainage capacity. This auxiliary storm drain will be installed under the streets Barão do Triunfo, Petrópolis, Baião, and Travessa do Imperador. In total, more than five kilometers of new storm drains will be installed in the region.
The Realengo reservoir's capacity is equivalent to 20-liter water tanks, a larger one than the Praça da Bandeira reservoir. The project will serve to contain the waters of the Piraquara River, which will also be desilted. In total, the project will benefit approximately 205 residents of the neighborhood, according to the latest census.
"This is a fundamental project. When we talk about floods, we talk about losses, bad memories. And when we implement these flood containment programs, we're providing safety for people to live in these areas. These projects involve redesigning the rivers' micro- and macro-drainage systems, as well as implementing the famous "piscinões" (water reservoirs). These were successful in Praça da Bandeira and Grande Tijuca, and we're bringing them to Realengo," said Infrastructure Secretary Wanderson Santos.
Realengo Park
A year ago, Rio de Janeiro City Hall inaugurated the Realengo Jornalista Susana Naspolini Park in the same area. Inspired by Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, the 76 m² public space not only offers comprehensive infrastructure for leisure, sports, and socializing, but also features innovative solutions for adapting to climate change, such as heat islands and flooding. 3.700 new trees were planted in an area equivalent to nine official soccer fields. The site also features a rainwater collection and storage system, with reservoirs that help mitigate flooding and allow water to be reused for garden irrigation and toilet cleaning.
Traffic bans and diversions
Starting this Saturday, CET-Rio will carry out road repairs in the region to facilitate the construction. The first intervention will take place on Rua do Imperador, which will be completely closed between Rua Bernardo de Vasconcelos and Avenida Santa Cruz. During this period, traffic will be diverted to Rua Lomas Valentinas.
On Monday (July 21), construction will advance to Avenida Santa Cruz, in the section between Rua Marechal Soares de Andrea and Estrada General Canrobert Pereira da Costa. At this location, only the left lane of the road will be closed, without the need for traffic diversions, with the flow of vehicles in the lane open to traffic.
Specific signage will be installed throughout the region to inform drivers of the changes. CET-Rio agents and traffic operators will be on site to monitor traffic conditions and ensure smooth traffic flow.
CET-Rio technicians at the Rio Operations Center (COR) will monitor all traffic movement using cameras so that, if necessary, adjustments can be made to the traffic light schedule with the aim of ensuring good road conditions.
CET-Rio recommends that drivers, if possible, avoid the impacted region and prioritize using alternative routes, paying attention to the instructions of traffic agents and the signs in place.
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