Construction work has started on the Greenway, an important cycle and walking route to the Olympic Park and green space both during the London 2012 Games and in legacy.
The multi-million pound improvement works will regenerate a 2.3km stretch of the Greenway which links the Olympic Park to Victoria Park and West Ham station. A resurfaced and wider cycle and footpath, new signage, seating and improved access points will open the Greenway up to thousands of spectators during the Games and local people in legacy. The construction will include the reuse of materials recycled from the Olympic Park such as bricks, manhole and drain covers, bollards, granite cobbles and kerbs. To create a greener space for people and new habitats for wildlife to enjoy the banks of the Greenway will be planted with wildflower meadows and native plants, bushes and trees including maple, hawthorn, hazel and blackthorn.
Sections of the Greenway will be diverted for brief periods during the improvement works and improvements to public transport access to the Olympic Park which are due to be completed more than a year before the London 2012 Games. Following a competitive public procurement process Volker Fitzpatrick has been appointed to carry out the regeneration which has been designed by small up-and-coming London based architects Adams and Sutherland working closely with Arup. The use of the Greenway has already been boosted by early improvements to the lighting and footpaths as well as maintenance works carried out by the local community organised by the London Wildlife Trust.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'These improvements will open up this important walking and cycling path to thousands more people before, during and after the London 2012 Games. Wildflowers and native bushes and trees along the Greenway will also create new habitats for wildlife and create a greener space for people.'
Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'This is an example of new sporting facilities developing as a result of London hosting the Games in 2012. Improvements for cycling and walking will contribute to healthy living and improve many people's quality of life.'
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'The reinvigoration of the greenway is yet another example of the legacy provided by the Games. It will benefit a great many people, helping to create a fantastic green route to be used and enjoyed by walkers and cyclists for decades to come.'
ODA Project Sponsor John Hopkins said: 'We have worked closely with Thames Water, the owners of the Greenway, LB Newham, the community and many others to deliver these important access improvements to and from the Olympic Park not only in Games but in legacy also. We look forward to continuing our work to ensure that the Greenway remains a real asset to the community.'
During the Games the Greenway will be utilised by spectators arriving at the Olympic Park from West Ham station or the planned cycle parking in Victoria Park. In legacy the Greenway, which runs for 7km from Victoria Park to Beckton, will connect with the Mayor’s East London Green Grid, a network of green space, footpaths and cycle paths which are being developed, by TFL and partner delivery authorities, across east London and through the Lea Valley.
The Duke of Gloucester recently cycled along a stretch of the Greenway that overlooks the Olympic Park to launch plans for the new 60km Jubilee Walkway Trust, and underlined the importance of walking and cycling to events as part of the London 2012.
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