The suspension bridge in Velké Meziříčí can be demolished, said the mayor

Jihlava/Velké Meziříčí - The bridge from 1924 over the Balinka stream in Velké Meziříčí can be demolished. Referring to the decision of the regional office from last Friday, Mayor Josef Komínek (ČSSD) informed ČTK today. The planned demolition of the bridge with prominent concrete arches is not liked by heritage conservationists or local initiatives. The mayor stated that according to the regional transport department, which addressed the matter as the appellate authority, the bridge is neither a monument nor part of a heritage-protected area.

Preparatory work for the demolition of the bridge has already begun. According to the mayor, the city can continue with the removal of the bridge based on the decision of the regional office, which leads to a local road. It will be replaced by a wider bridge structure. The reconstruction will cost around 20 million crowns.

Heritage conservationists do not want to comment on the matter for now. According to its spokesperson Ilona Ampapová, the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) in Telč has not been informed of the decision made by the regional office as of today.

Heritage conservationists expressed their views on the reconstruction of the bridge last November. In their statement, they noted that if the bridge is located in a heritage zone, it should be reconstructed, or a replica should be created in its place, which would allow for an expansion of the roadway.

According to NPÚ, the city office in Velké Meziříčí nevertheless issued a binding statement, stating that the proposed reconstruction by the city is acceptable from a heritage conservation perspective. Therefore, heritage conservationists requested that this statement be reviewed by the region. Due to the start of construction work in the middle of this month, the civic initiative Za Náměstí VM sent a proposal to the regional office for a preliminary measure prohibiting construction work until the review process is completed.

The bridge from 1924 by the Brno company Ferrobeton is, according to NPÚ, a valuable example of a transport structure from the early 20th century. In the Vysočina region, heritage conservationists know of only three such reinforced concrete arch bridges. The bridge in Hořepník is from 1911, and another in Jimramov was replaced by a replica in 2013.