The construction of the footbridge over the Elbe in H. Králové could start in 2017

Hradec Králové - The long-prepared construction of a footbridge over the Elbe at the Aldis Congress Center in Hradec Králové could begin in 2017. The bridge, which will cost about 29 million crowns, is expected to be built in about one year, said the deputy mayor of Hradec Králové, Jindřich Vedlich, to reporters today.
    "After approval by the council, negotiations will begin with the first in line, and if a contract for work is concluded, the preparation of documentation will start," Vedlich said. According to the deputy, in an optimistic scenario everything could be discussed with the relevant authorities by the end of this year and the construction should have a zoning decision between January and March 2016. "The preparation of documentation for the building permit could be completed by the end of 2016," he said.
    The competition for the footbridge was won by the team of architect Libor Kábrt, but he was disqualified from the architectural competition last May due to suspicion that the expert juror Lukáš Vráblík collaborated with Kábrt. The structural engineer Vráblík had previously participated in the plans for a similar work by Kábrt for a footbridge competition in Jaroměř. The architect successfully appealed against the disqualification to the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition, and the city council confirmed the original results of the tender in October.
    The footbridge is intended to connect the Šimkovy sady area and the Aldis Congress Center with Karel IV Avenue in the city center. The town hall already built a pedestrian boulevard in the Aldis zone in 2003 for nearly 23 million crowns. This footbridge was to follow that boulevard. However, according to the original project, it was necessary to fell an oak tree on the Elbe waterfront, against which environmentalists successfully protested.