Construction of bridges underway as Olympic Park foundations are laid
24 June 2008
In a statement on its website the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said the work will see the construction of more than 30 new bridges in the Olympic Park to create new connections across the site and leave an "open and accessible area in legacy".
Balfour Beatty, one of the ODA's structures, bridges and highways contractors, has now started work on the foundations of a permanent new bridge in the centre of the Olympic Park. The bridge will span Carpenters Road to create an essential link for construction traffic between the north and south of the site.
The bridge will then become an important part of the central pedestrian concourse through the middle of the Olympic Park during the Games and "in legacy", said the statement.
The start of works saw 290 m3 of concrete poured to create the first foundations for the abutments of the bridge. Once the foundations and bridge abutments are in place, 23 m-long steel beams will be lifted into place to form the deck of the bridge, which will be operational for construction traffic from November this year.
Later this summer Balfour Beatty will also begin work on the huge land bridge that will be the gateway to the 2012 Games, taking people from Stratford International and Stratford Regional Stations into the Olympic Park.
The land-bridge will form part of the roof of the Aquatics Centre and will be delivered by Balfour Beatty as part of its Aquatics Centre contract. Abutment works on the Stratford City side of the bridge were completed last year and Balfour Beatty will begin work later this summer on the bridge abutments within the Olympic Park.
The site of the 2012 Olympic Park is made up of fragmented pockets of land, and has suffered from poor connections between local communities in the past. The structures, bridges and highways project will see more than 30 bridges and 20 km of roads built in and around the Olympic Park to create new connections across the site.
Contracts for the first four packages of structures, bridges and highways work were awarded in January 2008:
- Olympic Park North Civils, Roads and Bridges Skanska Construction Limited
- Olympic Park South Civils, Roads and Bridges Edmund Nuttall Limited
- Rail Over-Bridges Balfour Beatty Group Limited
- Main Stadium Area Bridges Balfour Beatty Group Limited
Shortlists have also been drawn up for the next two packages of works in the project. The first is the Wetland Area Bridges (three footbridges in the north of the Olympic Park across the River Lea).
Contractors currently on the shorlist include, Costain, Edmund Nuttall, John Sisk & Son (Holdings), Lagan Construction, Norwest Holst and Skanska Construction UK.
The second is the Central Park Bridge (The construction of a footbridge on the central pedestrian concourse in the Olympic Park). Contractors on the shortlist include, Carillion Construction, Costain, Edmund Nuttall, John Sisk and Son (Holdings) and Lagan Construction
The contract for the Wetland Area bridges will be awarded in Autumn 2008 with work due to start on site in early 2009. The Central Park bridge contract is expected to be awarded in late 2008 with work due to start on site in 2009.
