Ian Barham, the Buckinghamshire Manager for the 2012 Games explained how the visit had given the group a unique insight into the development of the site “The Olympic Park site is absolutely enormous covering 2.5 sq km or the equivalent of 357 football pitches. The Olympic Delivery Authority have been working on the site from the summer of 2007, initially clearing and cleaning the site and since the summer of 2008 on the “big build” of the sporting venues. The progress over this period has been remarkable and is unprecedented in recent Olympic history. The initial clearing of the site included the removal of 52 overhead electricity pylons and replacement with over 200km of underground power-lines, the cleaning of 1.3 million tonnes of soil and even the re-housing of over 2000 newts to a nearby nature reserve.”
He added “Our group was able to gain a unique first-hand insight into the startling progress made on the site. Work is underway on all of the main venues and we were particularly impressed to see the main infrastructure already complete on the Olympic Stadium to see the Stingray shape of the aquatics centre emerging from the ground. I was particularly proud to see our very own Buckingham Group Constructing having started work ahead of schedule on the Handball Centre. We also learned that Buckinghamshire’s involvement in the site doesn’t stop there, with Black Poplar’s propagated in the Vale of Aylesbury, amongst the hundreds of English native trees being planted in the park”
The work on the main venues is expected to be finalised by the summer of 2011 in time for the test events ahead of the main Games schedule. Tickets for all events will go on sale at the beginning of 2011 and will include general Olympic Park admission as well as for the main sports venues.
Further tours to the Olympic Park are being scheduled for later in 2009, to register your interest in being part of these tours please e-mail ibarham[at]bucks2012.org