In Brno, the modernization of the Zvonařka bus station has begun

Brno - The long-delayed modernization at the bus station in Brno-Zvonařka has begun. By the end of next year, the gloomy and dark space is set to transform into a bright and pleasant area for waiting for buses. In the first phase, workers have started to clean and paint the iron structure that supports the parking area for buses above the departure area. Construction work is ideally expected to start in January, said Antonín Grund, the chairman of the board of ČSAD Brno-město holding, to reporters today.

The construction will cost over 100 million crowns, with 70 percent funded by EU subsidies. Thanks to the work that has commenced today, the station should become significantly brighter. After cleaning, the structure will be painted in a light color. "In the second phase, the lighting will be replaced. There will be significantly more lights, and they will not only shine on the area but also on the structure, from which the light will reflect. Thanks to modern technologies, the energy consumption will be the same as today," said the author of the architectural design, Ondřej Chybík.

The second phase is expected to start in January; last week, the investor opened the bids. "We won't comment further until we sign the contract," Grund said. The first phase had to be postponed precisely because it was necessary to repeat the selection process. "Next year will be a rush to complete it by the end of the year due to the subsidies, but we should manage it," Grund said.

Next year, a new check-in hall will be built in place of the stalls that currently line Opuštěná Street. "The wall behind the stalls will also disappear, and a free space will be created in front of the hall. So, the current transport sewer will become a real street, and there will be a new main entrance to the station from Vaňkovka," Chybík described. In addition, access to the platforms will change. Today, people must walk around the station because there is a railing around the long refýžs. "A new access to the platforms will be created through the center of the station. Thanks to the modern information and orientation system, a person passing through the hall will immediately know how to get to their bus," said Chybík.

During the repairs, one of the nine long platforms will always be closed, so operations will not be restricted; only some passengers will find the stop at a different platform.

The current check-in hall will also be reconstructed, and facilities for drivers will be created here; moreover, a stop will be located at the relocated tram line. "And there will be a bus stop at the check-in hall, so there will also be a public transport hub here," Grund said. Since its construction in the late 1970s, the bus station has not been conveniently accessible by public transport lines.

On a weekday, 820 regional, domestic, and international connections pass through the station, serving 17,000 to 18,000 passengers daily.

In December of this year, the newly modernized bus station will also be joined by the train station, which has been heavily neglected for the last decade. In recent years, railway workers have reconstructed the platforms, and starting this summer, the station building, including the departure hall, is gradually being renovated.