The Rio de Janeiro stadium that will be used for athletics at the 2016 Olympics will remain closed until 2015 because of structural problems with its roof.

City authorities have announced that it will take nearly 18 months to fix the Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium known locally as the Engenhao.

The stadium, built for the 2007 Pan American Games, has been closed since March 26 after a study showed there was a risk that the roof could collapse when exposed to high winds.

There had been no timetable on how long it would take to fix the venue until the city presented its own study on Friday.

“There is a need to reinforce the roof’s structure so the stadium can be used, taking into consideration the proper requirements of safety,” said Sebastiao Andrade, an engineer who participated in the study.

Local Olympic organisers said they remain confident that the city will deliver the stadium in time for the test events planned for the 2016 Games.

“The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee is satisfied that the solution presented by the city of Rio de Janeiro will allow the Olympic Stadium to be ready for the Games which will happen more than three years from now,” the committee said in a statement.

“We are keeping close contact with the International Olympic Committee and the IAAF regarding this subject.”

The Engenhao had been the city’s main stadium for the past three years while the Maracana was renovated for the upcoming Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup. The Engenhao was not set to host matches in those tournaments, but it could have been used for training.

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