Brno has started building flood protection measures from Riviera to Uhelná

Brno – Brno has begun constructing flood protection measures along the Svratka River in the section from Riviéra to the viaduct over Uhelná street. The goal is to protect the city from a hundred-year flood. The city will pay 1.3 billion crowns for the construction, most of which will be covered by the state. For Brno residents, the construction, which is expected to be completed next autumn, will provide the benefit of making the river accessible for relaxation and recreation. New riverbanks will be created. The river is currently confined to a concrete bed, said Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) at the construction's commencement today. The new riverbed will be much more natural and organic.

The section that the builders will modify is longer than three kilometers. The new design was proposed by the late architect Ivan Ruller. Thanks to the construction measures, land for new development will gradually be freed up in the city. Currently, these lands are blocked precisely because of the flood threat.

The basic motive for the measures is to widen the riverbed and lower the high banks. This way, the city will not be threatened even by the flow corresponding to a hundred-year flood. "The riverbank will be brought closer to the water level, creating a recreational zone. The environment will be barrier-free. Over 600 trees will be planted, and there will be a new area for rest and social gatherings," said Vaňková. Wetlands, reservoirs, and ponds will be created near the former cottage settlement Favorit by Bauerova street, along with a footbridge. Two new underpasses for cyclists will also be built under Vídeňská and Renneská.

The construction also includes a new main sewer instead of the hundred-year-old one, and water pipes and sewers will be relocated. "Work will be carried out in phases to minimize the impact on residents, and we will always inform in advance about specific traffic measures," Vaňková said.

The city will continue working on flood protection measures for several upcoming years in further phases. In total, it concerns 23 kilometers of the Svratka and Svitava rivers. Currently, a follow-up section around the planned new train station is being designed, and a project for the section from the D1 highway to the south towards Modřice will be developed.