Canary Wharf Group plc (CWG) has selected Laing O’Rourke as preferred bidder for enabling and civil engineering works at the Isle of Dogs Crossrail Station at Canary Wharf in London.
Negotiations are currently underway between Laing O’Rourke’s Expanded division, specialising in geotechnical, civil engineering and structural concrete works, and CWG, which late last year finalised a deal with the Secretary of State for Transport, Transport for London and Crossrail Ltd to design and construct the Isle of Dogs Station for a fixed price of £500m.
Preparatory work for the station, which will be located in North Dock, has begun. It will be one of the first sites to commence construction on the much-anticipated Crossrail project.
The station box is due to be completed by summer 2012, with the first Crossrail passenger trains planned to run in 2017, with a full service building up over the following 12 months.
Crossrail will help to cater for the continued growth of Canary Wharf’s working population and drive further development in East London. Travel times across the capital will be cut, making it possible to travel between Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street in seven minutes, Paddington in 17 minutes and Heathrow in 44 minutes.
Above the Isle of Dogs Station will be approximately 100,000 square feet of retail space designed by Foster + Partners and a roof-top park and community facility designed by Gillespies, with views out over the Docks and Canary Wharf beyond. The Station will be covered by an elegant, semi open-air timber lattice roof. It will aim for a BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) target of ‘outstanding’ and enhance the biodiversity in and around the Canary Wharf Estate.
Tony Douglas, Laing O’Rourke’s Chief Operating Officer, said “Everyone at Laing O’Rourke is very proud to have achieved preferred bidder status for the first package of work for this massive transport project”.
George Lacobescu, Chief Executive at Canary Wharf Group said: “It is exciting to see the much anticipated Crossrail project pick up speed. Canary Wharf and London’s transport infrastructure needs to keep pace with future growth, especially if we are to retain our position as a global commercial centre in the face of competition from developing cities around the world.
“We are pleased to put our experience and expertise in developing top-quality, large scale buildings to use on this important project for London, and look forward to working with our contractors to deliver a station on time and on-budget.”
Rob Holden, Crossrail Chief Executive said: "This is another important step forward for the project and further proof of the will and determination to see Crossrail built. Canary Wharf is a major interchange for the railway and I am delighted that preparations for the start of work on this key station are so well advanced."