ExCeL International Exhibition Centre was the busiest venue for the London Olympics and Paralympics 2012, outside the Olympic Park. The Centre is served by the adjoining Custom House and Prince Regent stations on the DLR Beckton branch but extra public transport capacity was needed for visitors. The solution was to provide a temporary walking route from ExCeL to Pontoon Dock station so that spectators leaving the venue could easily access DLR trains on the Woolwich Arsenal branch. Adams Hendry obtained planning permission as agent for the Olympic Delivery Authority from Newham Council for the walking route linking ExCeL to Pontoon Dock station in July 2011.
Contractors Jackson and their engineers Haydn Evans Consulting put forward innovative ideas to create a floating bridge using a number of shipping containers filled with buoyant material and bolted together to provide a continuous walkway across the dock. The contractors completed the bridge in time for the WorldSkills London 2011 event that took place at ExCel from 5th – 8th October 2011. It is the world’s largest international skills competition for young people and thousands of competitors used the bridge during the event. This enabled the bridge to be tested in advance of the London Olympics and Paralympics 2012.
