Karlovy Vary want to select a study for the reconstruction of the Cheb Bridge by the end of the year

Karlovy Vary - Karlovy Vary aim to select an architectural study for the reconstruction of the Cheb Bridge by the end of the year. The study will propose a new form for the concrete structure, as the current one is in a state of disrepair. Next year, the city plans to prepare project documentation. Construction work is expected to begin in the fall of 2024, given the condition of the bridge, said Petr Bursík (ODS), the deputy mayor of Karlovy Vary, to reporters today.

In 2019, the city commissioned a diagnostic survey of the bridge, which showed that it must be completely repaired within five years; otherwise, this important connection in the city center would have to be closed. The repair of the bridge is one of the current administration's priorities, which will likely lead the regional capital in the following four years.

The city has selected four architectural firms to develop studies that will show the future form of the bridge structure. The city will pay them two million crowns. The winning proposal will be selected by a professional committee this December. "The study will address the visual aspect and design of the bridge structure. As we see the bridge, it needs to be preserved, as it is a cultural monument. A new concrete structure will be inserted into the bridge, and the goal is to present this structure aesthetically to maintain the beauty of the bridge," said Bursík.

The five-arch stone road bridge over the Ohře River was opened in 1869. In the 1980s, a concrete slab was placed on its upper section, which is now used by cars and pedestrians. It consists of three sections. The first section spans the railway, the second crosses the river, and the third runs through the bypass of the city. The planned study and subsequent reconstruction will involve the first and second parts of the bridge. The exact cost will only be revealed once the project is completed. Costs are estimated to be several hundred million crowns.

Last year, Karlovy Vary addressed the emergency state of the Dvorsky Bridge over the Ohře. They invested 150 million crowns in a new bridge. There are also plans to repair the Ostrovský Bridge, which is also in poor technical condition. According to estimates, this will likely amount to hundreds of millions of crowns.