One year on, construction of Olympic Stadium is 'on track' for London 2012
Last updated 5/22/2009 2:40:34 PM
construction of Olympic Stadium on track for London 2012
Organisers of the London 2012 games say the construction of the Olympic Stadium is on track, a year on from the start of building work.
The Olympic Delivery Authority has paid tribute to the team undertaking the work and says the internal fit-out of over 700 internal rooms in the stadium has begun.
ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "One year on from the start of the big build, the Olympic Stadium is on track and already becoming a feature of the east London skyline. The steady and safe progress is a credit to the team on site and their suppliers across the UK.
"The Stadium is on schedule to host the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games in just over three years time and become a high quality facility in legacy for athletics and other sports."
Seb Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, explained: "The Olympic Stadium will become the heartbeat of the Olympic Park in 2012 and home to spectacular sport not just at Games time, but for years to come.
"It has been a fantastic effort to get us this far, but the future promises much more - a spectacular Olympic Games and Parlaympic Games in 2012."
He added: "When the Games have left town, we will have changed the map of east London for good, bringing a regenerated area and multi-sport facilities for both elite and community use – including track and field."
The statistics are mindiboggling. The fit-out work will require: 15,000 sq m of plasterboard, 140,000 blocks to create walls, 11km of pipes for drainage, 338km of power cables plus 33km of other data systems cabling and 12km of ventilation ducts.
Since last May, more than 4,500 reinforced concrete columns have been installed into the ground, up to 20m deep, to provide the foundations to support the Stadium structure.
Four hundred workers are currently working on site. This is set to increase to around 600 as the internal fit-out work increases and more electricians, brick-layers and plumbers are required.