H. Králové announced a competition for the company that will construct a footbridge across the Elbe

Hradec Králové – Hradec Králové announced a tender for a company to build a footbridge over the Elbe River in the Aldis area. This is already the fourth competition for the construction of the footbridge. The city hall representatives informed ČTK about this today. The construction can begin no earlier than autumn 2021, as builders will be working on finishing the Československá obchodní banka building at the site until then.

"Given that in previous years we have also been complicated by excessively high price offers, the estimated price of the contract is not published," said Jiří Bláha (ODS), the deputy mayor for investments.

The city hall has been preparing the footbridge project since 2003. The last tender was canceled by the city due to high costs. In spring, the councilors approved that 117 million crowns should be earmarked in the city budget for the construction in 2021.

In the Aldis area on the left bank of the Elbe, the company selected by the city has also begun demolishing one of the two terraces that obstructed the completion of the bank building. The demolition work costing 3.4 million crowns excluding VAT is expected to be completed by mid-August.

The construction of the footbridge is closely linked to the construction of the regional headquarters of Československá obchodní banka, which has been underway in the Aldis area since 2018. The city committed to building the footbridge by this April under a contract with ČSOB, with a penalty of 15 million crowns, which has not happened. However, the city hall averted the threat of a fine by agreeing with the bank to extend the deadline by more than three years.

A peculiar feature of the proposed footbridge is that it is to be constructed using an unusual technology of special high-strength concrete.