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Construction of the Thames cable car in London has reached a major milestone as all three towers have now been erected and a 1.1km long stretch of steel has been installed across the river.
When completed this summer, the Emirates Air Line will carry 34 ten-person cabins across the River Thames between the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Victoria Docks.
Work began in July 2011, with Mace providing design and build services alongside Macro, which is handling the operations of the development.
The towers were built in Bolton and erected in London using cranes. The twisted steel cabling running between them is comprised of nearly 300 separate strands of steel and is 50mm thick. It was pulled into place and tensioned using a 12-tonne winch.
Matt Randall, project director for Mace, said that this part of the project posed technical challenges.
"The pull of the cable across the Thames has been a highly complex and intricate part of the construction of this landmark project," he said.
"Working with the Port of London Authority to keep the river way clear, [there was a] short night-time window when the tide was at its lowest."
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