In Pardubice, a footbridge will be part of the shopping center; architects were against it.

Pardubice – This year, construction should begin on the large shopping center Pernerka in Pardubice, which will include a footbridge over a busy road. Michal Folta, spokesman for the investor, the Redstone group, told ČTK. The footbridge will be constructed even though the commission of architects did not recommend it. Neither the councilors nor the deputies had any objections against it. The city's approach is not appreciated by activists from the organization We Protect Trees.

"The new pedestrian bridge will connect the Pernerka Gallery with the space of the Pardubice railway station area. The new bridge will provide visitors to the gallery with a comfortable, but above all, safe route over the busy four-lane road on Palackého Street," Folta said.

He stated that it is not an architectural experiment; the investor operates a similar bridge at the Šantovka Gallery in Olomouc. "The bridge has an elegant shape and suitably complements the appearance of the Pardubice railway station area. The deck of the bridge made of prestressed concrete will rest on reinforced concrete pillars. They will also feature modern lighting," said the spokesman.

To the north, the bridge will connect to a terrace on the second floor of the shopping center, and to the south, it will end with a ramp towards the station and a staircase on the other side. "Barrier-free access will be ensured on the gallery side by a permanently accessible internal elevator and on the other side by a ramp. The bridge will be approximately 79 meters long, the staircase is designed to be about 17 meters, and in the section above Palackého Street, the bridge will be approximately 75 meters long," the spokesman stated.

According to Miroslav Seiner from the organization We Protect Trees, it is surprising that the councilors and deputies ignored the recommendations of experts. The commission of architects and urban planners did not recommend constructing the bridge and proposed crossings in the area. "The opinion of the lawyer from the property and investment department was also ignored, who explicitly recommended to the deputies that they familiarize themselves with the proposal first," Seiner said.

The organization is not primarily against the bridge, but it is upset that the deputies approved the easement that the investor needs for the construction, and did not care more about the design of the bridge at all. "The primary issue here is that the bridge can have variants. These were not publicly discussed. There should have been a connection between the opinion of the public, the opinion of experts, and it shouldn't have been done in this literally dilettantish manner," Seiner stated.

The organization also points out that it will be necessary to cut down two linden trees, and another four will need to be pruned. Although the investor promises replacement plantings, the value of the mature trees will not be compensated, Seiner said. "The development of a city is not just new buildings. The development of a city also includes the maintenance of public greenery. Construction is completed faster and demolished faster. It takes time for a tree to grow to its ecological value and aesthetic value," Seiner warned.

The Redstone group aims to complete the investment within three years of starting construction. Deputy Mayor René Živný (Together for Pardubice) has no problem with the bridge. The deputy confirmed that the commission of architects considers the bridge to be an outdated architectural element and believes that a crossing would suffice there.

"From the self-government's perspective, there's nothing we can do about it now; they have positive feedback from the building authority. The city's leadership had the opportunity to see the bridge; it was presented to us. Personally, I have no issues with it. I will probably use it; for me, it's fine. The investor's money will improve the city's infrastructure," the deputy said.