Work on the construction of London 2012's flagship venue - the Olympic Stadium - has been completed nearly three years after the project commenced.

Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chair John Armitt joined London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe and 400m hurdles medallist Tasha Danvers to lay the last piece of turf at the venue. The Populous-designed stadium was built by a team led by Sir Robert McAlpine and came in under budget. Hyland Edgar Driver and Buro Happold also worked on the scheme.

Savilles Hepher Dixon acted as planning consultant for the Olympic Stadium, which will be able to cater for 80,000 spectators in Games mode and is at the heart of the Olympic Park. The surface of the Mondo-supplied running track is to be laid by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) later this year.

International Olympic Committee's (IOC) athletes' commission chair Frankie Fredericks also attended, along with the IOC's Denis Oswald and Gilbert Felli. Armitt said: "To complete a complicated project such as this in less than three years is testament to the skill and professionalism of the UK construction industry."

Coe said: "We now come in and do some work in preparation of ceremonies, to dress the stadium to ensure it has a London 2012 feel throughout and of course, the final touch - to lay the track." Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt added: "This is another landmark day for the London 2012 project and shows that Britain is at the forefront of the construction world."

Image: ODA