Ostrava will have an original footbridge over the Ostravice

On Saturday, December 10, 2022, builders in Ostrava began hanging footbridges over the river, spanning the opposite banks of the Ostravice. The unique installation of the footbridge as part of the city project titled "Cycling Connection of the City Center with the Lower Area of Vítkovice" required not only a series of already completed works but also specific procedures during the actual installation process. The footbridge is part of a newly constructed bike path leading from the right bank of the river Ostravice towards the Great World of Technology, and its design for the city was created by architect Josef Pleskot.
“The footbridge consists of two parts and will be installed using a crane, which will lift one part of the footbridge at a time and move it into place. After setting the footbridge onto temporary structures, it will be checked by a surveyor, and any adjustments to the footbridge's position will be made before it is suspended. Next, the installation of the cables for hanging the footbridge will take place, along with the necessary work for the dynamic load test, which is scheduled for December 20. After evaluating it, the suspension cables will be tensioned, dampers will be set, and the bridge ends will be fitted onto the outer supports. Work on site will take place over both weekend days, including Sunday, December 11,” described the detailed installation process of the footbridge by Deputy Mayor Kateřina Šebestová.
To complete the footbridge, a walking surface must be applied, followed by the installation of railing infill. The condition for applying the slurry is a completely dry and dust-free surface of the footbridge, a substrate temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius, and a specific humidity level. Given these facts and the current weather conditions, a delay in the opening date for the public can therefore be anticipated.
“During the construction, technical complications arose, and a number of issues discovered during the various phases of construction had to be addressed, so the construction schedule was pushed back. For example, the contractor arranged a suitable area for the crane's placement, temporarily relocated the water supply line, and much more,” added Deputy Mayor Kateřina Šebestová.
The new connection to Bike Path E, which runs along the right bank of the Ostravice River to Vítkovice through the Lower Area, will offer a quick and safe connection. The new bike path is 550 meters long, four meters wide, and consists of two hanging footbridges that span the railway siding and the Ostravice River. From a side view, the footbridge has an A-shape, and it features a central embedded pylon that is 28 meters tall. Due to the proximity of the river and the biocorridor, the footbridge will be illuminated in a way reminiscent of moonlight. The railing will be made of stainless steel mesh, an upper grip, and supplemented with guiding rods for the visually impaired. The footbridges can be used by pedestrians, cyclists, and inline skaters.
The cost of constructing the footbridge will exceed 100 million crowns without VAT. The contractor for the footbridge is a joint venture of the companies FIRESTA-Fišer, reconstruction, construction a. s. and EXCON, a. s. The completion of the construction is currently anticipated in the spring of next year.