The state will contribute to the construction of the footbridge in the Opava city parks

Opava - The state will contribute to the construction of a footbridge over the Opava River in the Opava Municipal Gardens. This will unblock the revitalization project of the Silver Lake, which got stuck last year due to unresolved financing of the footbridge. The construction of the footbridge itself will cost 46.5 million crowns. The state will reimburse the Opava city hall for 60 percent of the eligible costs. This was announced to reporters today by the city spokesperson Lada Dobrovolná. The city council will discuss the entire project at the end of July, which must approve a new package of contracts and assess the current budget.

"The state subsidy is the result of intensive negotiations. We are pleased that we have reached a compromise with the Ministry of Finance. The revitalization project could thus start next year," said Deputy Mayor Michal Jedlička (KDU-ČSL).

The footbridge is intended to connect the Silver Lake area with the municipal gardens. Ministry officials initially assessed that its construction was not related to the revitalization of the former mining area. City representatives disagreed and did not want to cover the entire cost. However, it is essential for the project. It will connect two leisure areas of the city into one whole.

The costs of the entire revitalization of the former gypsum quarry on the outskirts of Opava are currently estimated at 122 million crowns. A bike path, a wading pool, and attractions for children are planned to be created near the water area. The construction of sidewalks and the introduction of public lighting are planned. The project's goal is also to improve the accessibility of the flooded gypsum quarry. The planned footbridge is the solution. The Silver Lake area will be connected to the municipal gardens not only by the new footbridge; a new underpass will be built under the busy Rolnická street.

The Silver Lake was created in the place of a former quarry where gypsum was mined. This mineral has been mined in the Opava region since 1849, and it was extracted around the Silver Lake until the early 1960s. The mine was then flooded with water. The lake area measures 6.6 hectares. It is 600 meters long and 200 meters wide. The maximum depth of the lake is approximately 15 meters.