Early start for Buckingham on Olympic arena

Buckingham Group Contracting started construction work on the Olympic Handball arena today - two months ahead of schedule.

The 'big build' is now underway of all 2012 new permanent venues - the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village, IBC/MPC and Velodrome. The sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland were completed last year and work recently started on the White Water Canoe Centre in Broxbourne.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: "The ‘big build’ is on track and the permanent venues that will host a fantastic festival in 2012 and provide a sporting legacy for elite athletes and communities are taking shape. The vibrant Handball Arena will provide a great experience for competitors and spectators during the Games and offer a new sustainable and flexible facility for local people to enjoy a wide range of sports in legacy".

Over the coming months around 200 piles will be driven 25 metres into the ground to form the foundations for the Handball Arena which will start coming out of the ground in the Autumn and be completed by summer 2011 ready for test events.

Projects delivered by Buckingham Group Contracting include: Stadium:MK, Milton Keynes; The Community Stadium, Brighton (under construction); National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes; Portsmouth FC East Stand, Redevelopment; Football Training Academy, Reading; Donnington Park Track and infrastructure works, Derbyshire.