Olympic News

The dream of hosting the 2012 Olympics is becoming a reality now and is quite literally taking shape as the first steelwork supports are currently being installed in the Olympic Stadium. Thirty-five metre steel terracing supports, each weighing 35 tonnes, have been lifted above the podium to hold the 55,000 seats in the upper tiers. Work is concentrating on the south stand, but eventually 112 rakers will be erected around the stadium over the next nine months.

The bare bones of the Olympic stadium is now visible for miles, and by the end of the year should be easily identifiable, with the podium slab around the west and south stands to join up with the raised ground level on the north and east stands, creating a concourse. 

Here's the latest news on just some of the business benefits the Olympics will bring to London Thames Gateway...


Local Jobs for Local People

New figures published by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) show that local and previously unemployed people are continuing to access jobs on the Olympic Park as construction work advances on the foundations of London 2012 venues.

The latest figures show that of the 2,701 strong workforce currently delivering the progress on the Olympic Park: nearly a quarter are local residents (24 per cent); over half are from London (58 per cent); just under one in 10 (9 per cent) was previously unemployed before finding work helping deliver the Games; and a fifth (20 per cent) of these workers live locally.

Up to 9,000 construction workers will be needed at the peak of construction on the Olympic Park in 2009/2010. The ODA has published the ‘London 2012 jobs, skills, futures' strategy which sets out how it is working with a range of public and private sector partners to help Olympic Park contractors recruit workers whilst at the same time helping people develop sustainable skills and a long term career path after the Games.

Activity is increasing steadily on the Olympic Park and targets have been set to complete the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre foundations by next summer.


Transport Benefits to be Experienced Two Years Ahead of Olympics

Great Britain's success in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing this summer brought with it a huge amount of excitement to the capital ahead of the four year run up to London 2012.

Londoners now have more reason to celebrate as news was released that the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) £500 million development of transport infrastructure in east London will be completed by 2010, two years before the start of the Olympic Games.

The transport upgrades will prove invaluable come 2012, as millions of tourists make there way to east London, but the news that they will be finished two years before the start of the Games will be welcomed by businesses in London Thames Gateway. Existing companies will be able to benefit from having better connections and faster, more efficient access to their clients and suppliers, all of which will help promote the region as one of Europe's top business destinations.

One of the first planned improvements to be completed will be to Stratford regional station, where £100 million is being spent on trebling the station's capacity and improving access to deal with the influx of commuters the station will be sure to see over the next few years.  Reports from the ODA say that about 70 per cent of those travelling to the Olympic Park will pass through this station, making these upgrades integral to the development of the area.  And commuters using the station will now be able to appreciate the benefits of these improvements a full two years before the start of the Games.

As well as this redevelopment, the ODA has also part-funded 22 of the 55 new three-car trains which will replace the two-car units on the Docklands Light Railway which will provide a key link from the Olympic Park and other sporting venues at Greenwich, Woolwich and the Excel stadium.

Other transport upgrades in the area include the DLR extension which will soon run to Woolwich Arsenal, due to be completed as early as February 2009. The extension will be vital for spectators looking to watch the Olympic shooting events at the Royal Artillery Barracks and will also provide a fast alternative route across the river to the north of the Thames. The DLR will also be expanded to run from Canning Town to Stratford International station, a scheme which will again be part-funded by the ODA and once complete, will be a major component of a modern transport network that quickly connects central London with the east, as well as Olympic destinations both north and south of the river.

Improvements to the transport infrastructure over the past few years have played a major role in the economic development of  London Thames Gateway and the next stage of developments are not only vital in the lead up to the Olympics, but to ensure the region's growth past 2012.

As Aman Dalvi, Chief Executive, Gateway to London, commented: "Expansion of the transport infrastructure is vital for London Thames Gateway to continue to grow economically. 

He continued "As well as proving extremely valuable to existing businesses, the upgrades will offer further incentives for companies looking to relocate to London Thames Gateway in the years leading up to London 2012."

Further information on the transport improvements is available at the London 2012 website

http://www.london2012.com/plans/transport/getting-ready/transport-plan.php