The underpass was constructed beneath the A12, a busy six-lane dual carriageway, while it remained fully operational to daily traffic. Fifty workers were involved in the project working 24 hours a day to oversee the installation of the underpass which was completed in just 28 days.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: 'The delivery of this critical engineering project on time is a significant achievement given the complexities and challenges involved. It is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our workers and engineers working round the clock to construct the new underpass beneath a busy dual carriageway, without causing any disruption to motorists.

'The completion of this underpass creates another essential new link into the Olympic Park and continues the work to build new roads and bridges right across the site, helping to deliver an open and accessible Park and creating new links between existing communities.'

The new underpass was delivered using a ‘jacked box’ method which involved a pre-constructed concrete box ‘pushed’ through the ground beneath the A12. Tunnelling techniques were used to excavate the ground ahead of the box while a series of hydraulic rams then pushed the box into the excavated tunnel face.

The concrete box forming the underpass was constructed in three sections and measures 50 metres-long, 11.5m-wide and 8m-high in total and weighs 3,500 tonnes.

The underpass works are part of the wider structures, bridges and highways project – the single biggest construction project the ODA is delivering to create new connections across the Olympic Park. Construction work is now underway on 21 of 30 new bridges and underpasses that will cross waterways, roads and rivers to create a connected, open and accessible Olympic Park for the Games and legacy.

Notes to editors:

1.    Images of work to install the new underpass can be downloaded from: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr132036404

2.    The underpass works were carried out by Skanska

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)20 3 2012 700.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

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