Pardubice is waiting for the cost estimate for the repair of the Červeňák bridge by the end of February

Pardubice - By the end of February, the city of Pardubice will likely have a professional estimate of how much it would cost to repair the Červeňák Bridge, or how much a footbridge to replace it would cost. Experts will propose possible options for proceeding. This was said today by Deputy Mayor Jan Hrabal (ANO) to the councilors. The railway bridge is in poor condition and has been closed since 2018. Activists want to save it.

The bridge has undergone several inspections in the past. It has been concluded that the load-bearing structures are aging. According to experts, the middle span of the bridge cannot be considered statically safe, said Hrabal. "None of us is happy about the current state of the Červeňák Bridge," he stated.

Last year, activists submitted a request for the bridge to become an industrial monument. The city contacted heritage conservationists to determine what historical value the bridge has. They predict that the Ministry of Culture will not declare the bridge a monument. The central part of the bridge is so damaged that, according to them, it has lost its historical authenticity, Hrabal said.

Heritage conservationists propose that the edge spans of the bridge should be retained and that a new central span be inserted, or that a new bridge should be constructed, Hrabal added.

Today, councilors discussed the Červeňák Bridge for a long time at the prompting of opposition councilor Filip Sedlák (Our Pardubice). He wanted the city to commission a public contract to propose a technological process for repairing the bridge so that it could serve pedestrians and cyclists. His proposal did not pass. Deputy Hrabal urged Sedlák to withdraw the proposal until the city has the expert estimate in February.

Some councilors supported Sedlák, stating that the bridge should remain in the natural location. Karel Haas (ODS) added that it is not necessary for the bridge to be a monument, it can be repaired even without heritage protection. "If we are the only ones who can, then we must," added councilor František Brendl (Together for Pardubice), who is in favor of saving the bridge.

The Červeňák Bridge consists of three parts; in 1885, the two outer spans were manufactured by ironworks in Sobotín in the Šumperk region. The middle section was produced between 1910 and 1911 by the Alois Rainberg Bridge and Engineering Works in Pardubice. It spanned the Chrudimka River at the location of today’s courthouse.

The bridge near the courthouse ceased to meet the city's capacity requirements, so in 1935 the city donated it to the railway army. The construction was taken over and two years later, it was installed at its current location in the Červeňák area along with two bridge spans from Sobotín, where it served as a part of a military training area.

Activists fear that the city will demolish the bridge. "We are really very disappointed to hear in recent months from city officials that the bridge supposedly cannot be saved and must be demolished. We fundamentally disagree with such an approach," stated the organization "We Protect Trees" in a written statement to the councilors.