Coming along nicely: The velodrome has made solid progress since construction was started in March.(Image credit: Getty Images)
The VeloPark will also be home to the Olympic BMX track.(Image credit: Getty Images)
An artist's render of what the velodrome should look like from within, once completed.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Outside of the velodrome will be a host of cycle paths and a road race circuit.(Image credit: Getty Images)
The first part of the structure that will eventually hold up the velodrome's roof has been erected.(Image credit: Getty Images)
It might be a web of steel and concrete at the moment, but come 2012 this place will see the world's top trackies vie for a swag of gold medals.(Image credit: Getty Images)
In all, some three million pounds worth of steel alone will be put into the velodrome's construction.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Work on the concourse level is nearing completion.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Work has now started on the upper tier which will seat 2,500 people.(Image credit: Getty Images)
London 2012’s Olympic Delivery Authority has shown off images of the currently under construction VeloPark velodrome, at Olympic Park in Lee Valley, which will host the track events at the current Olympiad’s end. The 2012 Olympic Games venue’s concourse level is nearing completion, while work on the pillars that will support the venue’s roof has now commenced.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins is pleased with the progress of the project, which commenced in March. “The good progress we are making on site keeps us on track to deliver a world-class stage for elite athletes in 2012 and the legacy of first-class facilities for a new generation of cyclists,” said Higgins. “Steel fabricated in the North West is playing an essential role in shaping the Velodrome and demonstrates the role that companies across the UK are playing in helping deliver the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games.”
Once completed the velordrome will seat some 6,000 people for the Olympic and Paralympic track cycling events. Seating will be split in to two tiers, with 3,500 on the lower tier while the upper tier seats 2,500 people and has views of Olympic Park and London’s skyline.
The steelwork sections rise in height by 12 metres from the shallowest point to the highest part of the structure, helping form the distinct double-curved roof structure which has been designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track.
Following the Olympic Games the velodrome will be used by elite athletes and the local community and will include a café, bike hire and cycle workshop facilities. A road cycle circuit and mountain bike course will be added to the Velodrome and BMX circuit to create a legacy VeloPark that will combine cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’.
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