Construction programme on target

Tristan Barclay

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has completed its latest set of building milestones for the 2012 London Games, it was announced today.

The objectives, set in summer 2009 as part of the wider ‘Big Build’ Olympic construction project, have been completed on time and pave the way for completion of the final stages on the entire Olympic project.

The milestones, set out in the document ‘the big build: structures’, were to achieve completion of:

  1. the Olympic Stadium.
  2. the permanent structure of the Aquatics Centre, with all three pools dug out.
  3. the structure of the Velodrome, ready to start on installing the timber track.
  4. the structure of the International Broadcast Centre and multi-storey car park.
  5. the structures of the Handball Arena and Basketball Arena, with internal works underway.
  6. the structures on the majority of Olympic Village homes, with internal works underway. Completion of all major infrastructure needed to support the development.
  7. all works at the Eton Dorney Rowing venue, and the new lake and competition courses at Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre, with the facilities building nearing completion.
  8. more than half of the new bridges and underpasses.
  9. The Energy Centre, Primary Substation, main sewer and deep sewer pumping station.
  10. the next level of detailed planning for transport operations during the Games.

David Higgins, chief executive of ODA, said: “Achieving our latest set of milestones has seen the Olympic Park site changed beyond recognition with the structures of the venues already new landmarks for east London, and good progress also made on venues around the UK.”

The Olympic construction programme now moves into its final year, as structures are completed and handed over to the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for fitting out and testing.

Seb Coe, chair of LOCOG, said: “The ODA has done a fantastic job in meeting its milestones, we could not have hoped for better partners.  The completion of the Big Build is on schedule and the venues will be handed over to LOCOG in a year’s time. We will still have work to do, but to get [the venues] a year in advance means we have time to fit out them out to put on a world class event in 2012.”