The construction of a temporary footbridge over the Elbe in Ústí will give way to a popular café

Ústí nad Labem - The construction of a temporary footbridge over the Elbe in Ústí nad Labem, where engineering networks will be relocated during the repairs of the Dr. Edvard Beneš Bridge, will lead to the closure of the popular café on the Střekov side. The Ústí Region, which owns the bridge, has been negotiating with the operators of Kolocafé for several years, said regional councilor Tomáš Rieger today to ČTK. A representative of Kolocafé, Libor Plzák, stated on Facebook today that he anticipated a closure of the business for one month, not for the entire season this year.

The land on which the café with seating is located belongs to the Elbe River Basin. After the signing of the contract in September 2021 between the region and the state enterprise, the region has been paying rent. "They have been operating there without rent since then," said Rieger. According to him, the region has been negotiating with the café operators since March 2021.

The operator of this beloved spot for locals and cyclists passing through the bike path is the Center for Support and Health Association. The café informed the public about the end of its operation on March 31 via social media. Plzák today published an open letter addressed to the governor. In it, he stated that the operators initially received different information.

"There is a huge difference between being displaced for one month and then returning to the constructed bridge where it is not possible to deliver construction materials around us, and being displaced for six months with a subsequent return to a bridge at a height of over four meters, which allows any vehicle to go for construction work," Plzák stated. According to him, operating the café in a quiet place would turn it into a business amid "a pulsating construction site." Such a change is, in his opinion, fatal for the café.

The region defends itself by stating that the operators were aware that they would not be able to operate the café during the construction of the footbridge. "I just regret a bit that this dissatisfaction has only manifested now," Rieger said in response to negative comments from visitors under the café's post. According to him, Kolocafé can return to the site after the construction of the footbridge is completed and leave again once the footbridge is deinstalled.

The region must first establish a construction site, which will start this spring. The construction is expected to begin at the turn of June and July this year. The footbridge will be completed this autumn. The region and the city of Ústí nad Labem also considered other locations for the footbridge. According to Rieger, there was a possibility to connect the Střekov embankment with the area behind the main train station. However, in such a case, the footbridge could not be barrier-free. Originally, it was planned that the footbridge would be permanently located over the Elbe, which would require modifications to the entire embankment and significantly increase the construction costs.

According to experts, the E. Beneš Bridge is in very poor condition. Traffic is also restricted due to this. The contract between the region and the contractor anticipates the completion of the reconstruction, including inspection, by March 2027. The project will cost around 628 million crowns, and the region aims to obtain a grant for about 525 million.

The café wants to organize a farewell concert for its customers on March 22. "Unfortunately, we are not able to say how we will proceed in the coming years," the invitation states. The operators are considering several options, one of which is returning after the completion of the footbridge and a complete closure of operations.