Work begins on key bridge in Olympic Park

The 45-metre temporary bridge will span the River Lea and link the construction sites of the VeloPark and International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre (IBC/MPC) in the north-west of the Park. Bridges for construction within the Park will play a key role in minimising disruption to public roads and bridges.

In total, more than 30 bridges, temporary and permanent, and 20km of roads in and around the Olympic Park will be built, to create a compact and integrated Park and leaving an open and accessible area in legacy.

Earthworks are underway to prepare the platforms for the construction of the IBC/MPC in 2008 and the VeloPark in early 2009. The new bridge will link the two sites, allowing construction vehicles to travel between the east and west sides of the Park site without the need to use public roads and bridges. Work has started to lay the foundations and construct the bridge supports, allowing the bridge structure to be lifted into place in September 2007.

Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Director of Infrastructure Simon Wright said: 'We are already preparing for the start of the ‘big build’ next year by putting roads and bridges in place to link together the construction sites for key venues. The start of work on temporary roads and bridges is a key milestone and an important step towards providing a network of safe and secure routes across the Park.'

The start of work on the temporary bridge keeps the ODA on track to meet another of its milestones that it hopes to achieve by the Beijing 2008 Games - milestone 3 states that the main temporary roads and bridges will have been built, giving access to a safe and secure construction site for the ‘big build’.

01 August

Read the full media release.