The region wants to build a footbridge in Slavic Hillfort in Mikulčice

Brno - The South Moravian Region plans to build a footbridge across the Morava River in the archaeological park at the Slavic fort in Mikulčice in the Hodonín region for nearly 80 million crowns. The bridge will connect the fort with the Church of Saint Margaret in the Slovak Kopčany, said South Moravian Councilor Jiří Němec (KDU-ČSL) to journalists today. According to him, the footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists, almost 150 meters long, should be completed by the end of 2018.
    "This year we will complete work on the new visitor center, including a new exhibition. The footbridge will be another continuation of the development of the archaeological park," said Němec. The reconstruction of the first pavilion for 30 million crowns will be finished this April. Inside, there will be a new exhibition about Great Moravia. The second pavilion of the memorial has been renovated for four million crowns already more than six years ago. The facility reminds that scientists have found the foundations of 12 churches in addition to the princely palace at the site after 60 years of research.
    The new bridge is expected to connect the Czech Republic with Slovakia. "The footbridge will be 143 meters long and five meters wide. The project will include the construction of access roads and cycle paths to the footbridge. Pedestrians will walk on it and cyclists will ride on it. It will be inaccessible to cars," said Němec.
    The region wants to obtain a grant from the operational program for cross-border cooperation with Slovakia for its construction. "The grant could cover up to 90% of eligible costs," added the councilor.
    This year, the region will apply for a grant. "We anticipate approval next year, and if we are successful, we will begin the selection process for the contractor. The actual implementation could start in 2017 and be completed in 2018," Němec added.
    The Czech Republic and Slovakia have twice proposed the entry of the Mikulčice-Kopčany archaeological park on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On both occasions, both countries withdrew the proposal. The reason is better processing of the documentation for the entry and a more detailed assessment of the significance of the latest findings.