Just when you thought hosting the London 2012 Olympic Games was exciting enough; plans for a stunning £25 million cable car crossing of the Thames have now been unveiled.

The privately funded cable car would transport up to 2,500 people an hour in a five-minute crossing between the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks.

The 50 metre high construction, which spans the river, would enable a quicker link between the O2 Arena and the ExCeL Centre – both Olympic venues.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said:

“A cable car spanning the majestic Thames would not only provide a unique and pioneering addition to London’s skyline, but also offer a serene and joyful journey across the river.”

He added: “Passengers would be able to drink in the truly spectacular views of the Olympic Park and iconic London landmarks whilst shaving valuable minutes from their travelling time.

“It would also provide a much needed enhancement of cross river options to the east of the city.”

The cable car has been a successful mode of transport in a number of cities including Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Barcelona.

It sounds fantastic! Are you as excited about this new scheme as we are?

The Duke of Edinburgh put aside his 89th birthday plans to scale the Olympic Stadium with London 2012 boss Seb Coe and Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt.

The London 2012 site in Stratford, East London, is taking shape as impressive recent photos have shown and it is firmly on track to meet its construction targets.

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who responded to last week’s question with some fantastic vegetarian restaurant recommendations.

Today marks the beginning of Volunteers Week, an annual event to celebrate the wonderful contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK.

Apparently around 70% of adults in the UK volunteered in the past year.  That spirit will serve the country well with the London 2012 Olympics around the corner.

The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will need  loads of you to help out so things run smoothly. Find out how to volunteer for the 2012 Olympics here.

Are you a volunteer? Visit London wants to know how, why, where and what you’ve volunteered for recently.

The Olympic road cycling route will start and end in Central London, crossing the river Thames and travelling through South West London and the Surrey Hills in between.

London landmarks along the new 138-kilometre route include:

• Westminster - the route begins in this historic area of London
• Crossing the Thames at Putney
• Bushy Park
• Richmond Park
• A 12.5km circuit of Westminster, Chelsea and Fulham
• The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace – where the race finishes

Read more about this on www.insidethegames.biz