Olympic Park bridge provides boost for local residents

A new bridge link between Hackney East Marsh and the Eton Manor site in the north of the Olympic Park was recently lifted into place.

The 42m-long steel bridge will be the main route into the Olympic Park for spectators arriving at the Northern Spectator Mall. After the Games, the bridge will become an essential link for local residents, providing access into the new sports and leisure facilities in Eton Manor as well as the wider Park site.

One of Europe’s largest cranes was used to lift the 200t permanent bridge structure into place across Ruckholt Road. Featuring a distinctive arched design, the 6m wide bridge was fabricated and erected by Mabey Bridge.

An adjacent temporary bridge structure was also lifted into place that will accommodate the extra spectator numbers during the Games and which will then be removed afterwards, leaving the permanent legacy bridge in place.

Olympic Delivery Authority Director of Infrastructure Simon Wright said: “Lifting in the bridge was a huge engineering challenge and a significant achievement that paves the way for another important new link for the Olympic Park.”