The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the body responsible for delivering the infrastructure for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, published its annual report for 2006-2007 detailing its first-year progress, including submission of the planning application for the Olympic Park and completion of the first major construction project.
ODA acting chairman Roy McNulty said in a statement, “this is a project without precedent – twice the size of Heathrow’s Terminal Five in half time. It is one of the biggest business challenges in the world and one of the biggest jobs in the construction industry – a multi-billion pound delivery program to a fixed deadline.
“The ODA has met all its major milestones to date in its first year finishing the first major construction program, the tunnelling needed to put the power lines under ground, on time and to budget”. The tunnel is a vital stage in the preparation of the 2.5 square kilometres site in east London, allowing power cables currently suspended by 52 pylons to be buried below ground.
McNulty said improvements to the site map had resulted in a 600 million pound saving for the project.
David Higgins, the chief executive of the ODA told reporters, “we now move to the next strategic phase ‘Demolish, Dig, Design’. This is an extremely challenging project, but by setting out the program of work in a transparent way we believe we are breaking new ground for a project of this scale. We will be allowing people to judge progress for themselves”.
Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell said, “I am confident that the world-class leadership we have in place will ensure continued good progress and delivery of a Games and legacy the whole country will be proud of for years to come”.
The ODA set out 10 key milestones to be reached before next year’s Beijing Games. It is clearing and decontaminating the 2.5 square km site that will house the main stadium, Olympic village, Aquatics Centre, VeloPark, and media and broadcast facilities, and handing out design contracts.
Bridges, roads and transport improvements will be well underway and venue designs finalized by the time the Olympic flag is handed over to London at the Beijing closing ceremony said the ODA.
Construction work on major venues is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008.
