Písek bude mít lávku přes řeku Otavu od Josefa Pleskota

Písek - A footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the Otava River, designed by architect Josef Pleskot, will be constructed by mid-next year in Písek. It will be located near the Václavský weir and will connect two parts of the city, Hradiště and St. Wenceslas. Each of these areas is home to several thousand people. The construction of the footbridge, which will become part of a new cycling path, will begin in the third quarter of the year, with costs estimated at 29 million crowns. This was stated today by the city's deputy mayor Josef Knot (TOP 09).

Pleskot's design for the footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the Otava dates back to 2014. The lightweight steel structure will be built in a location where there used to be a ford, and where a bridge was planned as early as the 1930s. It will connect the Hradiště housing estate, home to about 5,000 residents, with one of the city's oldest areas, the location near St. Wenceslas. Pleskot, a native of Písek, finds the place where the footbridge will be urbanistically very comfortable.

"I believe the footbridge will be used, as there are many beautiful views from it, because there is Hradiště, something ancient, the settlement of the Wenceslas suburb is also something very old, and one can see the church on the St. Wenceslas suburb, which is a very significant architectural landmark, and from the footbridge, one can see the panorama of the city along with the dean's church. There are beautiful vistas looking upstream and downstream. This place is validated from many perspectives, it is the right choice, and that is why I engaged so much and with joy," Pleskot told ČTK today.

The footbridge will be nearly 150 meters long and over three meters wide, so that, according to the architect, cyclists and mothers with strollers do not hinder each other, while also allowing for scenic views. "I mainly planned it as an experiential footbridge, so that crossing would not just be a connection between two banks from point A to point B, but rather that the journey across the river would be pleasant, entertaining, and joyful at every moment," said Pleskot.

The deputy mayor considers him one of the most significant architects, not just in the Czech Republic. "And since he is a native of Písek, it will grace the city to leave a mark here," said Knot.

The footbridge will be part of a cycling path that will connect Hradiště with the industrial zone. The cycling path will lead through the city center, around a new swimming pool, which Písek will build under the forestry school for 250 million crowns, and across the Otava. "The purpose of the cycling path is for residents from Hradiště, cyclists, and pedestrians to safely reach their jobs in the industrial zone, schools, offices, or cultural and sports events,” said Knot. The construction of the cycling path was approved by the representatives on Thursday. The costs for the first of three phases amount to 40 million crowns. The city wants to obtain up to 30 million from the Integrated Operational Program; if unsuccessful, it will apply for a grant from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.