The repair of the stone bridge in Dobříš could start in 2023

Dobříš – The repair of the stone bridge in Dobříš in the Příbram region, which was declared a monument last year, could begin in 2023. First, it will be necessary to revise the project documentation, and long discussions with conservationists can be expected, said Jan Lichtneger, director of the regional road management and maintenance.

The bridge over the Pilský brook is in poor condition, and the roadworkers originally wanted to demolish it and replace it with a new structure. The Dobříš Beautification Society disagreed and initiated a petition that was supported by local and Central Bohemian representatives. The bridge was declared a monument in early September last year, thus definitively averting its demolition. Representatives of the regional authority previously stated that the reconstruction of the original bridge would not be cheap.

Lichtneger recalled that project documentation was being prepared for the action, which now needs to be completely redone. "We will see how complicated the discussions will be. It can be expected that we will have lengthy discussions with the conservationists. If everything goes well, we will have the permit sometime in 2023," he stated.

Until the repair begins, the bridge needs to be carefully monitored; some temporary adjustments have already been made. "We have agreed that the bridge will be monitored more frequently than prescribed to monitor any sudden changes," added the director.

The historic bridge was built around 1830 as a miniature replica of the Charles Bridge in Prague, according to the petition. Petr Kadlec, the chairman of the Beautification Society, pointed out that it is the last classical stone bridge in Dobříš that has survived to the present day. The bridge was allegedly constructed in memory of a tragic event when a carriage overturned in a ford with the bride Marie Anna Kloibrová from Český Krumlov in June 1829, and the girl drowned in the swollen Pilský brook. The construction was financed by her family.