Improvements to London Olympic venue

The Dorney Lake course at Eton, just outside of London, hosted the 2006 World Rowing Championships and is now gearing up for the next Olympic Games.

Having hosted more than one international event already, the Eton venue is equipped with eight lanes, a warm up/cool down area and all of the trappings of an international venue. Added to this will be the following improvements:

* The installation of a new 50m span bridge over a widened entrance to the return lane for two-way vehicular traffic and segregated pedestrian traffic
* Construction of a cut-through between the competition lake and the return lane, with a new bridge over the cut-through
* The upgrade of the existing gravel/stone access road up to the competition venue to facilitate construction works and for use during the Games
The construction is due to start in September of this year to tie in with the rowing off-season winter months and completion is due by Spring 2010.

London Olympic organising committee rowing manager, Ann-Louise Morgan says the improvements were decided in consultation with the International Rowing Federation, FISA and the International Canoe Federation, ICF to determine the most appropriate conditions needed for the Olympic Games. Eton College, the owners of the rowing venue, has also agreed to the improvements.

Morgan says there are many benefits that come with the improvements, “The widening of the entrance to the return lane will ensure safe access for warming up and cooling down crews during Olympics and Paralympics and the new 50m span bridge will aid vehicular access to and from the return island and create a segregated pedestrian walkway to separate Olympic Family from vehicle movements. The access road running along the south side of the venue will provide a dedicated Olympic Family route into the venue during Games time, creating segregated routes for athletes/Olympic Family and spectators.”