Hradec Králové Region wants to change the tender for the repair of the Dobrošov fortress

Hradec Králové - The Hradec Králové Region wants to change the conditions of the competition for a construction company that should repair the pre-war border fortress Dobrošov in the Náchod area. Changes could concern, for example, the scope of construction works or their price, said today to reporters the regional councilor for investments and property Václav Řehoř (ODS).

The region canceled the third tender last year. The only company that applied for the contract, according to the regional management, did not meet the conditions set in the competition, as the offer exceeded the maximum allowable price by several million crowns, which the region had set.

"At this moment, we are communicating with the funding authority about what can be changed. We will try once more to set the competition so that we can select a construction company," Řehoř said.

The region does not have much time left. In order not to lose the European subsidy, which should cover most of the costs, the selected construction company should complete the repairs of the fortress by autumn 2020. This deadline can be met, provided that construction work begins this spring.

According to Řehoř, there is a "Plan B" in case the region fails to select a company in the fourth round. "First of all, we would have to remediate some conditions that are close to emergency. This mainly concerns electrical installations and insulation, that needs to be resolved. After that, we would address the reconstruction with our own financial resources," Řehoř told the Czech News Agency. In this case, the fortress could at least partially open to visitors for the season. The Dobrošov fortress is one of the significant tourist destinations in the Hradec Králové Region.

No companies applied in the first tender. In the second competition, the region received only one offer from the Litoměřice company Gardenline with a bid price of 64.9 million crowns without VAT. However, the company subsequently withdrew from the contract. The third tender was announced in September this year with a bidding price of 65.2 million crowns without VAT. The company Redomo applied, but exceeded the amount. According to the regional management, the issues in selecting the contractor are due to the situation in the construction market.

The Hradec Králové Region acquired the Dobrošov fortress free of charge from the army in 2015; guided tours for visitors are managed by the Náchod museum. The fortress is visited by around 30,000 people each year. During the season, there is one guided tour route through the fortress's underground, and the Jeřáb building is occasionally accessible.

The Dobrošov fortress was built to protect the republic against the expanding Nazi Germany, together with other border fortifications. However, it was not completed before the signing of the Munich Agreement on the cession of border territories of Czechoslovakia to Germany in September 1938.