Work on the new cable car across the Thames, linking the Royal Docks and Greenwich Peninsular, will start this summer, London Mayor, Boris Johnson, confirmed today.

Stretching 1.1km across the River Thames and with 34 gondola cabins operating, the cable car will have the capacity to carry up to 2,500 people per hour and it is anticipated two million passengers per year.

crosshead

Construction of the low-emission, quick, direct and fully accessible link will be a spectacular architectural addition to London’s skyline and is seen as a much needed river crossing in the area, cutting travel times to five minutes but puts the free Woolwich Ferry at its present North Woolwich location.

Lead contractor will be Mace which built the London Eye and is currently constructing the Shard Tower in London and is involved in a consortium working on the Olympic Stadium. They will also operate it for three years.

Mr Johnson, waxed: “Gliding serenely through the air across the Thames (the cable car) will provide a truly sublime, bird’s eye view of our wonderful city. This innovative airborne travel link will be a vital component in the ongoing renaissance of a vibrant easterly quarter of the Capital, providing a much needed river crossing.”

crosshead

Mark Reynolds, Deputy Chief Executive of Mace, said: “This will be an incredibly exciting new river crossing for London and we are really proud to be involved. London’s cable car project is an awe-inspiring addition to our London portfolio of work. Mace thrives on challenging and innovative schemes and we are delighted that Transport for London has trusted Mace to deliver this fantastic project.”

Also announced was the bid to find commercial partners who want to invest in the scheme in return for the rights to associated commercial sponsorship opportunities, including naming rights and branding options.