The two-year powerlines project has been delivered on time and to budget with the removal of the final overhead electricity pylon from the Olympic Park site, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced.

With the removal of the final pylon from the Olympic Park, the ODA outlined today the economic and legacy benefits the two-year powerlines project has delivered, including:

• More than 1,700 jobs and six major contracts awarded, worth more than £200m in total, for the tunnelling, cabling and pylon removal phases of the project
• Pylons up to 30m high removed from the Olympic Park, transforming the skyline of east London for good and unlocking the Olympic Park site for the construction of new homes, sporting venues and essential infrastructure
• A new backbone of electrical infrastructure created beneath the Olympic Park to power the Games and the lasting regeneration of the area.

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"This £250m project, delivered on time and to budget, has created new jobs for local people and business opportunities for a range of companies and unlocks the Olympic Park landscape for the delivery of new homes, world-class sports venues and essential infrastructure."

The powerlines project was started by the London Development Agency (LDA) in 2005, ahead of London's successful bid to host the 2012 Games. It was then handed over to be managed by the ODA, working with the LDA as well as EDF Energy and National Grid, the companies that own and operate the overhead lines.

(CD/JM)