Moravian ornithologists are against the construction of the cable Tyrš Bridge

PREROV - Members of the Moravian Ornithological Society have opposed the planned construction of the Tyrš Bridge, which is intended to connect the banks of the Bečva River in Přerov in the future. They claim that the cable-stayed bridge, which is being advocated by the local council, could lead to the death of hundreds of water birds each year. Individual ornithologists had already pointed out the problem earlier. Now, this proposal has been supported by the entire membership base.
"It is more binding for us. We are no longer acting as individuals. Furthermore, we are tasked with continuing to advocate for this opinion," Jiří Šafránek from the Moravian Ornithological Society said today to ČTK.
The members of the society agreed that this variant could cause the death or serious injury of dozens to hundreds of water birds annually. "The problem is all the more serious given that the site of the bridge's realization is located in the immediate vicinity of one of the most significant wintering grounds for water birds in central Moravia, at the confluence of the Bečva River and Strhanka. We support any other variant of the bridge that would be safe for both people and waterfowl," Šafránek pointed out.
Experts are now trying to gain the support of councilors and mayors, gathering additional studies from abroad. However, they are concerned that the representatives of the council will push through the bridge proposal even without the knowledge of the councilors. The city has already decided to commence the preparation of project documentation.
However, the spokesperson for the Přerov city council, Bohuslav Přidal, claims that the council does not intend to bypass the councilors. "The project documentation is intended to help determine, also for the purposes of grant applications, how much the construction would cost. In no case will it go outside of the council, that is out of the question," the spokesperson told ČTK.
The council decided to favor the variant of the bridge that won the architectural-urban planning competition from late 2003 and early 2004. The winning design, however, was not supported by the residents of the city in a public survey.
The new Tyrš Bridge is supposed to replace the current footbridge over the Bečva River, which is in very poor condition. The city risks having to close it. The city intends to obtain funding for the construction of the bridge, estimated to cost up to 50 million crowns, from grants or subsidy titles.