Most in Blansko will be a quarter more expensive than originally expected

Blansko - The planned bridging of the Svitava River and the railway to Old Blansko will be a quarter more expensive than initially expected. The current investment amount is calculated at 350 million crowns, while in 2016, the estimated costs were 70 million lower. Therefore, additional funding sources will be sought, announced the spokesperson of the Blansko city hall, Ondřej Požár, in a press release. The project is currently proceeding with land acquisitions and further negotiations.

The city had previously signed a memorandum of cooperation on the project with the South Moravian Region, which is to be the main investor. The road with the bridge should be a third-class regional road. The region spends about 300 million annually on roads in the area. This, according to the spokesperson, would mean finding co-financing from other sources, such as from the city or the Railway Transport Administration (SŽDC). However, negotiations will still be complicated, according to the city.

"During the negotiations with SŽDC, it was mentioned that they might contribute financially by obtaining funds from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. However, they set a condition that the railway crossing in Old Blansko would be removed. The urban plan still includes the crossing, though. The construction of the bridge could be coordinated with the disruption in the designated railway corridor in 2022," said the mayor of Blansko, Jiří Crha (ODS).

The disruption is expected to last about three months, according to Marek Štefan, head of the municipal investment and urban development department. The bridge should be built during this time. The city leadership would welcome, according to the spokesperson, if the bridge construction could proceed while keeping the crossing. "If that is not possible, a comfortable underpass needs to be built, with the city potentially contributing to the financing," said Požár.

The bridge will connect on one side to Svitavská Street, and a roundabout will be created in Old Blansko. There will also be a sidewalk for pedestrians on the bridge.

According to experts, bridging the main track is the only solution to the unsatisfactory traffic situation. With the increasing railway traffic on the main corridor between Prague and Brno and the rising number of cars on the roads, troubles in the city are becoming more significant. Often, dozens of cars are left waiting in line at the barriers. If the bridge is built, it will be the largest transport construction in Blansko's modern history.