The Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA's) road logistics centres that manage deliveries to the Olympic Park are now fully operational, as the site gears up for the busiest phase in the project over the next 18 months.

Yesterday, ODA Chairman John Armitt and Director of Construction Howard Shiplee visited the centres on the M11 and in Barking to see the important role the centres play.

The M11 Logistics Centre takes vehicles from the north and west of the UK and has processed 5,000 vehicles to date. The Barking Logistics Centre takes vehicles from the south and east of the country and has now processed nearly 15,000 vehicles.

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Deliveries to the Olympic Park go to the logistics centres to be screened. The drivers' identification and the vehicle details are also checked, all of which are pre-registered. The vehicles are then recorded onto the Vehicle Tracking Module (VTM) before being called forward to leave the logistics centre to meet their allotted time for arrival at the Olympic Park.

The data taken from the VTM is used to manage demand accordingly and ensure that the Logistics Centres stagger vehicles arriving into the Olympic Park.

Mr Armitt said: "The 'big build' is well underway with construction work now started on all of the permanent venues on the site. With around four vehicles a minute entering the Olympic Park, getting the logistics right to support all this activity is imperative and the Logistics Centres help manage the flow of vehicles in and around Stratford.

"We can expect to see a marked increase in the number of vehicles going through the centres and into the Park over the next 18 months and it is reassuring that the off-site support is in place and the centres are fully operational and prepared for the peak of construction next Summer."

(CD/KMcA)