Work accelerates on Olympic Stadium site

October 04, 2007

Progress on the site of the Olympic Stadium accelerated this week with nearly half the buildings now demolished, temporary bridges being installed and a programme of work beginning to remove thousands of tonnes of soil to create the correct ground levels.

Ground levels vary across the Stadium site and some parts will have to be lowered by 9metres while others areas need to be raised by 5metres. Over the next few months around 600,000 tonnes of soil will be taken away from the site to help create the construction platform for stadium – the equivalent weight of around 27 aircraft carriers or 37 submarines.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said:

“We said that by Beijing 2008 the majority of the Olympic Park would be cleared and cleaned. This progress keeps the ODA on track to have the site of one of ‘Big 4’ London 2012 venues ready for construction to start next summer.”

As part of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) commitment to sustainability and strategy to re-use any waste created, soil will then be used in other parts of the Olympic Park, in particular the Aquatics Centre.

Demolition started in July with 16 of the existing buildings already knocked down and the rest due to be demolished by the end of the year.

Two temporary bridges are also about to be installed on the stadium area, which is largely an island site surrounded by waterways. These construction bridges will play a key role in minimising disruption to local residents by reducing the number of lorries on public roads and bridges.

The ODA has already carried out ecological surveys and translocations of fish and newts from the stadium site as well as archaeological and excavation work.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.

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