The ŘVC will begin work this year on the navigability of the upper course of the Vltava

České Budějovice - The Directorate of Waterways of the Czech Republic (ŘVC) will start work this year on making the upper flow of the Vltava navigable for recreational boating. Future adjustments will allow navigation on the river from České Budějovice to Prague. ČTK was informed about this today by Pavlína Straková from the communication department of ŘVC. The office already has a valid land use decision for the construction of a lock at the weir in Českém Vrbném, which is part of the first section from České Budějovice to Hluboká nad Vltavou.
    "The construction of the lock at Českém Vrbném is key to making the first part navigable. However, due to the complexity of the entire project, its construction is planned for next year," said the director of ŘVC, Miroslav Šefara.
    For boats to navigate from the capital to České Budějovice, the state will need to spend at least 2.6 billion crowns on adjustments to the river flow. The South Bohemian Region is particularly pushing for the extension of the waterway.
    This year, ŘVC plans to modernize the weir in Českém Vrbném and deepen the channel in the reservoir of the weir in Hluboká nad Vltavou. Investments for this year will reach 70 million crowns. Next year, the directorate will complete, in addition to the lock at Českém Vrbném, the adjustment of the riverbed in Budějovice below the Jiráskový weir. Plans also include the construction of a port in Českém Vrbném and a dock for Lannova Boathouse in České Budějovice.
    The entire project for the South Bohemian section of the river is divided into three segments - from České Budějovice to Hluboká nad Vltavou, from Hluboká to the water reservoir Hněvkovice, and from there to Týn nad Vltavou. The first recreational steamboat from Orlík could appear in Budějovice within three to four years. The modernization of weirs or the activation of currently unused locks, mainly upstream from Týn nad Vltavou, will require 600 million crowns.
    The entire project is planned until 2013. After that, the "South Bohemian" Vltava will be connected navigably to the Orlík Reservoir. With the completion of navigation facilities at Orlík and Slapy, a continuous Vltava waterway will be created, connected through the Elbe to an extensive network of European waterways.