London 2012: successful 1600-tonne bridge push
By Richard High16 July 2009
The Town Centre Link Bridge, which has been successfully pushed over 11 live railway lines at Stratford Station, London, UK, touched down on the other side of the tracks this week as part of the preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.
Before, during and after the 2012 Games it will provide a vital link from the existing town centre to Westfield's UK£ 1.45 billion (€ 1.69 billion) Stratford City Project.
In an "unprecedented feat of engineering", the 1600 tonne, 128 m-long, 14 m-wide bridge, which was constructed on site in three sections and then progressively pushed out on three separate occasions, touched down in Stratford.
Commenting on the successful launch, Keith Whitmore, director of design and construction for Westfield, said, "This is a hugely complex and groundbreaking feat of engineering which took a large amount of co-ordination and expertise to deliver on time and on budget whilst maintaining a fully operational station.
"Opening in 2011, this vital piece of infrastructure will transform Stratford's connectivity and unlock access to the powerful new retail and leisure offer at Westfield Stratford City for commuters, residents and all existing and future users of the town centre."
Construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the UK's National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency (LDA).
