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The contract to construct enhanced rowing and canoe sprint facilities for the London 2012 Games has been awarded to Morrison Construction, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced this week.

The rowing and canoe sprint events during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place at the Eton College Rowing Centre at Dorney Lake near Windsor, Berkshire. Set in a 450-acre parkland, the venue currently consists of a 2,000m, eight-lane rowing lake, return lane and associated competition facilities.

The venue’s existing facilities will be enhanced to provide improved facilities for athlete warm-up and Canoe Sprint events during the London 2012 Games. The construction contract to deliver the enhancement works at Dorney Lake includes:

• 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

David Higgins, ODA Chief Executive said: 'Eton College Rowing Centre is a first-class venue and the enhancements we are delivering will create the best possible facilities for the world’s best athletes to use in 2012. Securing a world-class contractor is an important step towards delivering these essential works.'

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'Eton Dorney is a superb venue set in the heart of rowing country. These enhancements show our commitment to providing the best possible facilities at Games time, whilst avoiding unnecessary money on creating new venues. Eton Dorney is a world class venue that hosts elite level competition as well as community events, it is a venue of which we can all be proud.'

Ken Gillespie, group managing director (construction) of Galliford Try, parent company to Morrison Construction said: 'We're delighted for this opportunity to extend our relationship with the ODA and on such a prestigious project. We look forward to starting the work.'

The Eton Dorney enhancement works are expected to start on site in late summer.

(Source: LOCOG)