Jablonec nad Nisou is preparing a competition for the construction of a transport terminal

Jablonec nad Nisou - Jablonec nad Nisou is preparing a competition for the construction of a transport terminal that is to connect bus transport with rail and, in the future, also with trams. Miloš Vele (ODS), the mayor, said this to ČTK today. The city has been preparing the project for the fourth election term, with preliminary costs estimated at 450 million crowns. This is one of the projects that the town hall wants to finance from a loan of more than half a billion for investments, also counting on European grants, and contributions from the Liberec region are also expected.

"The preparation for the construction of the terminal is nearing completion, as my colleagues are preparing the tender submission. A feasibility study for the grant provider is currently being developed, so I believe that we will be able to announce the tender somewhere in the second half of the year," Vele added. According to him, negotiations with the Liberec transport company are also ongoing, which is preparing to extend the tram line from Tyršovy sady, where it currently ends, to the new terminal.

The design of the terminal is the work of the Prague studio DOMYJINAK architekti, which won the open urban-architectural competition in 2018. The construction is the largest project in the modern history of the city. The town hall has a chance to obtain approximately 100 million crowns for the construction from European funds from the Integrated Territorial Investments program for the Liberec - Jablonec agglomeration (ITI). According to Governor Martin Půta (Starostové pro Liberecký kraj), the support from the region will depend on the tender price.

As the preparation of the project is prolonged, the estimated costs are also rising. Initially, the designers estimated it at 160 million, and now they are nearly three times that amount. "The price includes the terminal itself, which is a significant part, but it must be understood that it is a revitalization of the entire extensive area. It encompasses the adjustment of waterfront paths on both sides of the river, and there is a park included. It is not just the terminal itself," pointed out Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Piráti).

In the future, the new transport terminal should serve as the terminus for the tram line from Liberec, with about 800 meters of tracks needing to be built down Soukenná Street across Dolní náměstí. Work is unlikely to start before 2026. "I'm a bit pessimistic about that; the work on the design is not progressing as quickly as I would like. We don't have it in our hands; it is an investment of the Liberec transport company," Vele said. He also promised that the region would financially support this project.