Olympic construction materials delivered by barge

Many of the construction materials for London’s 2012 Olympic Park are to be transported to the site on barges, with an east London waterway being dredged and brought back into use.

Water transport has just one fifth the carbon footprint of road transport, and barges can carry up to ten lorries’ worth of materials without causing extra congestion on London’s roads.

To make barge delivery possible, a one-and-a-half mile stretch of water between Bow Locks to Bow Creek is having to be dredged on the Waterworks River.

A 60 tonne boat is currently working to remove around 30,000 tonnes of silt, gravel, and rubble from the water, as well as shopping trolleys, tyres, timber, and at least one motor car.

“The Olympic Park is characterised by a series of waterways which act as green corridors running through the heart of the site,” said Richard Jackson, environment manager for the Olympic Development Authority (ODA).

“Currently, they are polluted, neglected and under-used, and have been treated as a dumping ground for everything from shopping trolleys to cars.

“This dredging programme is an important step in regenerating the waterways and will help improve water quality, creating better habitats for wildlife and plants.”

The ODA also plans to deliver at least 57% of construction materials to the Olympic Park site using rail transport.