One of the pylons dismantled on the Olympic Park in 2008The £250m project included building two 6km tunnels beneath the Park. This enabled the power needed for the Games, and for the communities that will live in the area after 2012, to be switched underground. The new tunnels also meant the 52 overhead electricity pylons could be removed from the Park.
The removal of these pylons unlocked areas of the site so that construction work on new venues and infrastructure could take place.
The project began in 2005 and was completed when the last overhead pylon on the Park was removed in December 2008.
Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: ‘The powerlines project delivered the first real legacy from the Games by unlocking the Olympic Park landscape for long-term regeneration, allowing the skyline of east London to be permanently transformed.
‘The careful planning, collaborative working and innovation used in this project has set a benchmark for world-class delivery, not only for the wider Olympic Park construction projects but for the whole industry to follow.’
The project was delivered on budget in half the time of the industry average and completed with an impressive health and safety record.
