Olympic planning.

01 Sep, 2005

East London power-line pylons go underground for Olympics

Preparations for the Olympic Park for the 2012 Games are already underway. The initial stage of a 200 million project to improve the area destined for the park involves the burying of overhead electric powerlines in two gigantic tunnels, making the 50 or so massive pylons that currently disfigure the East End redundant. The power line tunnels, which will total 12 kms in length, are to be constructed at a depth of 20 metres underground. The area is destined to become one of Europes largest urban parks and work on clearing old buildings has already been authorized by London mayor, Ken Livingstone. Decontamination of a site once used by a small nuclear power plant in the 1970s is another important element in the general clean-up to development and construction of the Olympic Park facilities.