The creation of Canning Town’s new town centre is storming ahead with the completion of Hallsville Quarter’s first concrete structure.

A time capsule was buried on the site during a topping out ceremony to mark the milestone, 16 months on from the start of construction.

The £600 million scheme will reconnect the areas north and south of the A13 flyover, linking Canning Town corner with Barking Road and Rathbone market.

The initial phase includes the creation of 179 residential units and a Morrisons supermarket bringing more than 250 jobs to the area.

Later phases will bring more than 1,100 housing units, 30,000 square metres of leisure and retail space and more than 3,000 square metres of space for community facilities to the area, as well as a health centre, pedestrianised links and cycling provision.

The development is being built by Bouygues UK in partnership with One Housing Group, Mountain Capital and Morrisons.

Sir Robin said Hallsville Quarter would be a “real game changer” for Canning Town.

“The work of the council and our partners will ensure residents are at the heart of this programme and that they directly benefit from the regeneration,” he added.

Madani Sow, chairman of Bouygues UK and Bouygues Development, said the company was “enormously proud to be part of such a transformational scheme in East London, a great example of the city’s continuing eastward shift”.

The £77 million first phase of Hallsville Quarter is expected to be finished in early 2015.

The development is part of Newham Council’s £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House regeneration programme.