Powerlines diversion work clears the way for Olympic Village

Two six kilometre tunnels, up to 30 metres deep, are currently being dug beneath the Olympic Park enabling the power needed for the Games and the community post-2012 to be carried underground and the overhead powerlines which run across 52 pylons in the Park to be removed.

The overhead pylons will be removed in early 2009 but to allow construction work on the Olympic Village to start a year earlier than planned, a one kilometre section of powerlines through the Olympic Park will be temporarily diverted around the Olympic Village area, unlocking the site for the start of work early next year.

Four temporary pylons are currently being constructed and will be connected to a diverted section of the overhead powerlines in August, allowing two existing pylons in the centre of the Olympic Village site to be removed.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said:

"We are making good progress on the powerlines project and with the underground tunnelling work nearing completion, we are turning our attention above ground to put this key diversion in place.

"The start of the temporary diversion work is the first step towards unlocking the Olympic Park site and clears the way for the construction of a world-class Olympic Village for Games time and legacy, a key part of our 2012 vision."

The construction of the powerlines temporary diversion in preparation for the start of work on the Olympic Village early next year puts the ODA firmly on track to achieve two of its ten 'Milestones to Beijing' announced earlier this year.

Of the ten milestones to be achieved by the 2008 Beijing Games, Milestone 2 stated that the powerlines tunnelling and undergound cabling work will be complete, meaning the power for the Olympic Park will be set to switch underground; and Milestone 8 stated that a detailed planning application for the Olympic Village will be submitted by the end of this year, with construction is due to begin in 2008.

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