Work To Start Early On 2012 Olympic Stadium

Work on the 2012 Olympic Stadium will begin three months ahead of schedule in
April of next year, the Olympic Delivery Authority has revealed.

David Higgins, ODA chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, stated:
‘The quicker we start the more time we have to ensure completion in an effective
time to allow the test events to happen in 2011’.

The design of the £496m stadium will be officially unveiled this week after
costs spiraled from the original £280m quoted in the bid document put forward in
2004 mainly due to inflation and the addition of VAT charges.

The announcement that the stadium work will begin ahead of schedule comes
just a week after International Olympic Association president Jacques Rogge
urged the organising committee to find a tenant for the stadium after 2012.

The London 2012 organisers have thus far failed to convince any of the major
football clubs to commit to moving to the stadium after the Games, principally
due to the demand that the athletics track remains as part of the venue.