Above: Almost 1,500 people built the three-tower cable car over a period of two years.

With the opening ceremony of the London Olympics less than a month away, the city’s mayor has unveiled a new cable car linking two event venues.

Mayor Boris Johnson called the Emirates Air Line “a stunning addition,” to the city’s transport infrastructure and said it was commensurate with his ambition to provide an economic legacy for the East End of the capital in the longer term.

Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the 34-cabin cable car was part-sponsored by Dubai-based airline Emirates and will take up to 2,500 people per hour across the River Thames from the Greenwich O2 Arena, which will host the basketball finals and gymnastics, to the home of the boxing and other combat events– the ExCel exhibition center. Journey time over the 1,000 meter cable will be about five minutes off peak and 10 minutes during busier periods. The cable car is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are US$6.70 for adults, but US$5 for those who use the capital’s Oyster prepay card.