We recently hit a key transport target when we lifted a huge bridge into place to create a new entrance and exit at Stratford International Station - a gateway station to the Olympic Park. A 1,000-tonne crane lifts the bridge into place overnight:
It was a great job by the team and it went without any serious hitches. The bridge was already glazed to avoid the complex job of installing heavy duty glass above a live operating railway. The lift was done so expertly that not a single pane of glass was damaged!
During the London 2012 Games, this new entrance and exit will improve the flow of spectators getting on and off the high speed Javelin® shuttle service to the Olympic Park. The Javelin® will run from St. Pancras International Station to Stratford International, and then on to Ebbsfleet in Kent.
The new entrance and exit will also shorten the walking distance to Stratford Regional Station by about 200m and provide better access to the new Stratford City shopping development.
A Eurostar train passes under the bridge now in place over the eastern end of the domestic platforms:
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), along with the Department for Transport (DfT) and High Speed 1, funded the new bridge at the station, which is due to open in December 2009 when the domestic services start. The Eurostar is currently the only service using these lines.
