Demolish, dig, design

Milestone 01
Changing the face of the earth
By Beijing 2008: The majority of the Olympic Park will be cleared and cleaned.

The Olympic Delivery Authority does not have vacant possession of the whole Olympic Park site until Summer 2007, but where possible the area is already being cleared of buildings, cleaned and landscaped to enable the next phase of the project to begin. Clearance and demolition has already started on parts of the site, including Eton Manor in the north of the Olympic Park and the site of the Aquatics Centre in the south. Once this is complete, bulk earthworks will begin to alter the landscape and enable the development of a fully accessible site, both during and after the London 2012 Games. Existing woodland and waterside locations of high ecological value will be safeguarded in the construction phase and incorporated into the Park’s design. Site clearance, demolition and bulk earthworks will accelerate during 2007 and 2008, so that by the time of the Beijing 2008 Games the majority of the site will be cleared and cleaned.

1.5 million
Amount of soil in cubic metres that will be excavated, treated, cleaned and compacted

Milestone 02
Going underground
By Beijing 2008: With the tunnels and cabling complete, the power for the Olympic Park will be set to switch underground.

The 52 electricity pylons that dominate the landscape in and around the Olympic Park are being removed to enable the major phase of construction to begin. It will help to open up the land to create one of the biggest urban parks in Europe for 150 years. Before the pylons can be dismantled, the cables they carry between Hackney and West Ham substations must be moved underground into two tunnels up to 30 metres deep, each 6km long. In 2006, four boring machines were lowered down two shafts midway between the substations with each working outwards. Once the tunnel excavation and lining is complete midway through 2007, new cables will be installed and tested, along with the underground ventilation needed to remove the heat generated by the cables. By the time the Beijing 2008 Games are underway the new underground cabling should be ready so that power can be switched and the pylons dismantled towards the end of 2008.

200km
Total length of cabling being used to move the power underground

Milestone 03
Construction access all areas
By Beijing 2008: The main temporary roads and bridges will have been built, giving access to a safe and secure construction site for the ‘big build’.

A series of roads and bridges are being constructed to enable works access within the Olympic Park site during 2007 and 2008, so that the main construction phase can begin after the Beijing 2008 Games. By 2008 there will be two main entrances with roads penetrating deep into the site. Where possible, these temporary roads will be constructed along the route of the eventual Olympic Park Loop Road, the main route for vehicles within the Park during the London 2012 Games. Most of this road will remain after the Games. By Summer 2008 the area will also be accessible by rail and river, with water and rail freight compounds established inside the site. The ODA’s target is for 50 percent of construction materials by weight to be brought on or off site by rail and barge during the ‘big build’. The Olympic Park is criss-crossed with canals, waterways and railway lines, so a series of temporary bridges will be built to aid logistics.

50 percent
Proportion of construction materials expected to be transported by sustainable means, including rail and water

Milestone 04
Making connections
By Beijing 2008: The installation of new water and energy systems that will serve the Olympic Park during and after the London 2012 Games will have started.

An entirely new utilities infrastructure is being commissioned and installed to meet the long-term needs of the Lower Lea Valley communities and the demand of the London 2012 Games. Already, existing pipes, cables and other infrastructure are being dismantled, disconnected or diverted. In Autumn 2007, contracts will be awarded for the installation and operation of each utility, ensuring that the installation of the utility networks, including gas, water, sewerage, heating/cooling and electricity, is underway by the Beijing 2008 Games. At the heart of this infrastructure will be a new Energy Centre that will include a biomass boiler and an innovative, high-efficiency CCHP plant. This will provide heating for the Aquatics Centre and Olympic Stadium, and heating and cooling for the International Broadcast Centre. It will also generate electricity for the Park. A primary substation will be built alongside that will enable electricity to be efficiently distributed throughout the Park and provide electricity for the Stratford City development, with provision for future developments. Planning consent for a wind turbine at Eton Manor, just north of the Olympic Park, is expected in Summer 2007.

20 percent
Proportion of total energy demand from the permanent London 2012 Games facilities that will be met by new on-site renewable energy sources

Milestone 05
Setting the scenery
By Beijing 2008: The regeneration of the waterways in the Olympic Park will have started, improving the environment and access for the ‘big build’.

The waterways around the Olympic Park are being revitalised to enhance the physical environment, create new green corridors for wildlife and allow materials to be transported to and from the site by barge. Some of the existing riverwalls will be replaced or repaired, and work will be undertaken to change river levels and shape the landscape. The remodelling of the waterways will extend and widen wetland areas, including submerged, floating and emergent aquatic vegetation and reed beds. This major new inner-city wetland habitat will also play an important function in managing flood risk around the Park. The ODA is also working with British Waterways to create a new lock and water control system just south of the Park, changing the River Lea from a tidal to non-tidal environment and stabilising the water level at just over two metres. This will enable 350-tonne barges to access the construction site. Facilities to unload freight and manage waste by water will be provided within the Olympic Park.

8.35km
Total length of waterways within or adjacent to the Olympic Park

Milestone 06
Green light for transport
By Beijing 2008: The transport enhancements that will open up east London and support the London 2012 Games will have started, with many complete.

Numerous improvements to the transport infrastructure in east London have started, with others beginning during 2007 and the first half of 2008. Upgrades to the 10 Javelin service lines that currently serve the Olympic Park area are underway. An 11th – the High Speed 1 rail link from the Channel Tunnel – will begin operating between St Pancras and mainland Europe in November 2007, taking people from St Pancras to the Olympic Park in just seven minutes. To accommodate demand on the Docklands Light Railway, 55 additional rail cars are being purchased (22 of which are being funded by the ODA), increasing capacity by 50 percent; meanwhile the length of the DLR is being extended by more than 25 percent. The installation of a new signalling system on the Jubilee Line is also well underway, which will reduce journey times and improve train frequency, increasing the capacity of the line by 25 percent.

During the London 2012 Games up to 120,000 spectators each morning will arrive and depart through Stratford Regional Station. To meet this demand, work to substantially expand the capacity of the station will begin during 2007. This will include the re-opening of a disused subway, the construction of a new Central Line platform and new lifts to improve accessibility. In a related project, the construction of two new DLR platforms will be completed during 2007. These platforms will accommodate future DLR passenger growth and allow for an increased service frequency.

25,000
The capacity of the Javelin shuttle service (people/hour) that will transport people to and from Stratford International Station

Milestone 07
Route to the Olympic Stadium
By Beijing 2008: Construction will have started on the bridge that will take people over the Aquatics Centre to the Olympic Stadium. Building work on the Stadium will be about to begin.

Surrounded by waterways at the heart of the Olympic Park, the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Track and Field Competitions for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In 2007, the concept design work that started during the procurement process will be progressed. This will enable a detailed planning application to be submitted before the end of 2007 and permission granted in the first half of 2008. During the same period, the site of the Stadium will be cleared of existing industrial buildings, cleaned and landscaped to create a platform for construction. Midway through 2008, the contractor will take possession of the site. By the time the Beijing 2008 Games are underway the site should be ready for building work to begin. In the meantime, construction will have started on a vast bridge that will take people from Stratford International and Regional stations to the Stadium at the heart of the Olympic Park. It will span the Olympic Park Loop Road, part of the Aquatics Centre, the River Lea and a railway line. Work on the first bridge support has already begun to minimise conflict with other construction work planned later in 2007. Work on the remaining parts of the bridge will be well underway by the time of the Beijing 2008 Games.

230,000
Total number of spectators expected to cross the bridge in a day during the Games

Milestone 08
Beds for athletes, homes for Londoners
By Beijing 2008: Construction on the Olympic Village will have started.

The Olympic Village will provide beds for up to 17,000 athletes and officials during the Olympic Games and 6500 in the Paralympic Games. Along with this accommodation, it will comprise shops, restaurants, medical and leisure facilities, large areas of open space and a water feature. It will also feature an ‘International Zone’ where athletes can meet with friends and family. After the Games, the Village will become part of the overall Stratford City regeneration scheme, including a new regional shopping centre with additional leisure, office and residential areas. The Village will provide over 4000 homes, with a mix of affordable tenures, shared equity and housing for sale. All the apartment blocks will be fully accessible and equipped with modern lifts, and construction of the buildings will have begun by the time of the Beijing 2008 Games.

17,000
Number of beds for athletes and officials in the Olympic Village during the Games

Milestone 09
Grand designs
By Beijing 2008: Contracts will have been let and designs agreed for the ‘Big 4’ venues in the Olympic Park – and at venues outside London work on site will have started.

With the design of the Aquatics Centre already well advanced, the procurement process has started to select the main contractor, who will be appointed at the end of 2007. Preparatory works will begin on site in the months leading up to the Beijing 2008 Games, with construction works beginning shortly after. The process of appointing a design team and contractor for the 6000-seater Velo Park was recently concluded, and construction will begin in 2009. The International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre (IBC/MPC) will host 20,000 of the world’s media in state-of-the-art facilities during the Games and offer high-quality office and commercial space afterwards. The outline design will be complete by the time of the Beijing 2008 Games and construction will start in 2009.

Currently an 85-hectare brownfield site owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority just north of the M25 in Hertfordshire, Broxbourne will be transformed into a world-class Whitewater Canoe Slalom course. The design team and an outline design is already in place, with approval for the planning application expected in late-2007. Work is expected to have started on site by the Beijing 2008 Games. In addition, a new slipway, 70 moorings and associated facilities are being developed at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy to provide a venue suitable for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing. A new commercial 600-berth marina is also being built nearby with 250 of these berths to be used during the Games. The contractor should be appointed in late-2007, but works will not begin until Spring 2008 as over-wintering sea birds will delay the start of construction. By the Beijing 2008 Games, work will be nearing completion.

9715
Total volume of water in cubic metres in the Aquatics Centre – equivalent to 116,580 baths

Milestone 10
Thinking of tomorrow today
By Beijing 2008: The development of the Legacy Masterplan Framework for the Olympic Park will be well advanced.

The Legacy Masterplan Framework (LMF) for the Olympic Park will underpin the development and regeneration of the area after the Games. The ODA will be working closely with London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, the London Development Agency (LDA), the Greater London Authority, local boroughs and other stakeholders to create an overall vision and structure for the sustainable regeneration of the area. Straight after the Games, the Olympic Park will be transformed, leaving both a new park and a platform for the subsequent development of the area in the years after 2012. The permanent venues, some in reduced form, the Olympic Park Loop Road and the Park itself will be converted for legacy use. Temporary venues and structures will be dismantled or relocated, while transport services, utilities and infrastructure will remain.

The first stage of the LMF – confirming a vision for the legacy and identifying options for the development of the Olympic Park after the London 2012 Games – will be well underway by the time of the Beijing 2008 Games. In the years following, preferred options will be refined, to enable planning applications for areas across the site to be submitted both before and after the Games.

130,000
Amount of new workspace in square metres in the IBC/MPC after the Games – larger than in the Canary Wharf Tower