<Písek> plans to repair the Gothic <Kamenný most> over the <Otava>

Písek – Písek plans to repair the Gothic Stone Bridge from the 13th century this year. The bridge, which leads from the city center across the Otava River, will remain partially passable even during the reconstruction. Petra Měšťanová, spokeswoman for the Písek city hall, said this to ČTK. According to her, the repair will ensure the functionality of the monument for another 20 years. The Písek Stone Bridge is the oldest preserved bridge in the Czech Republic.

The city hall plans to start the reconstruction in May or June, and the work will take approximately five months. "The estimated cost of the contract should be around 2.8 million crowns without tax," said mayor Eva Vanžurová (South Bohemians 2012). During the reconstruction, half of the bridge will always be open to pedestrians.

The last repairs of the Stone Bridge took place between 1996 and 1997 and then in 2003. The current project effectively follows these and aims to ensure regular maintenance and preservation of the monument's functionality. "The work is designed so that the current state of the bridge is not disrupted either functionally or aesthetically, thus preserving the historical value of the structure,” said the mayor of Písek.

The Stone Bridge is 111 meters long and was originally finished with defensive towers on both banks. It is adorned with Baroque sculptures of St. John of Nepomuk, Calvary, St. Anne, and St. Anthony of Padua. The bridge was also affected by extensive floods in 2002, which caused damage to the monument amounting to six million crowns.