(by Alfonso Neri) Construction is underway on 41 of the 53 single-nation pavilions for Milan Expo 2015 and work on the rest will start within the next two weeks, says Commissioner Giuseppe Sala.
Speaking some 200 days before the beginning of Milan Expo in May, Sala said that at the very latest, all pavilions would be under construction by late October.
Sala said that it was largely to the credit of Italy's anti-corruption czar Raffaele Cantone, who was given powers during the summer to vet Expo business, that the work was moving ahead as planned. The only real construction delay involves Cardo, a street which along with the Decumano, forms the Expo's main structure, said Sala. One of the last single-nation pavilions to begin construction was France, which will be located next to the Italian pavilion.
In contrast, the fourth floor of Italy's pavilion will soon be completed, demonstrating the pace of construction there. The work is proceeding at a fast clip, as becomes apparent walking through the enormous work site. The Decumano is nearing completion and is entirely covered.
After a rainy summer, workers are taking advantage of the clear weather to make significant headway. Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the work on the French pavilion, Sala noted that "we have made up for lost time, given the potential risk we had and concerns the Expo center and Pavilion Zero". "On the other hand, we still are a bit behind on Cardo, which hasn't been started yet," he added. "Objectively, Cantone's arrival was fundamental since he made the system secure".
Meanwhile, Sala said that online ticket sales began 10 days ago, "and not that many people are purchasing them yet". "However, people from around the world are buying tickets, and this is noteworthy," he added. At the inauguration of the construction on the French pavilion, French agriculture minister Stephane Le Foll said that France is focusing its Expo presentation on "food production that conserves its land".
The French pavilion will be made almost entirely from wood from the Jura region and be easy to assemble and reassemble elsewhere for future use.
His Italian counterpart, Maurizio Martina, underscored the "close collaboration on food security" between the two countries.
Lombardy governor Roberto Maroni noted that France is the region's second-top trade partner following Germany, with trade totaling some 23 billion euros.
Milan Expo will begin on May 1 with its theme "Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life".
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