H. Králové will be looking for a designer for the repair of the underpass on Karl IV Street for the third time.

Hradec Králové – The Hradec Králové City Hall will be looking for a designer for the reconstruction of the underpass on Karel IV. Avenue for the third time, which is a busy connection between the train station and the historic center of the hundred-thousand-strong city. No one applied in the previous two tenders for the designer, city officials said today. Due to the search for a designer, the start of the repair will be delayed by about a year.

The current form of the underpass, which runs under a four-lane road ring, dates back to the first half of the 1970s. The repair could cost several tens of millions of crowns. The City Hall originally planned to start repairs at the beginning of 2024, but now estimates the start for 2025.

In order to increase the interest of designers in the contract, the City Hall set different conditions. The main one is the extension of the deadline for submitting the project documentation to about a year. "If the current process is successful, we could have the project documentation completed by mid-2024," said Deputy Mayor for Investment Lukáš Řádek (TOP 09).

The underpass, which still retains its original form, needs a fundamental repair. In the past, the City Hall only considered repairing the store windows, but ultimately decided on a complete reconstruction. The underpass, which currently has restrooms, textile shops, a café with a coffee shop, and advertising windows, should also become a meeting place for people. Part of the underpass could function as an exhibition gallery.

The City Hall plans to remove metal display windows, replace the flooring and lighting, and rearrange the restrooms. The café should open more into the space. "We want to maintain the functionality of the underpass, but the entire area should look clean and create a pleasant airy impression," said Řádek.

The underpass, located under the intersection of Karel IV. and Střelecká streets, can be accessed from three sides. The fourth arm of the underpass, which would lead to the Katschnerka parking house and Hořická street, will not be constructed by the City Hall. The reasons are the ecological burden in the area and the high costs of expansion.