Construction workers are finishing the footbridge over the Ostravice, but it will probably open to the public only in spring

Ostrava - Builders are completing a footbridge over the Ostravice River, which is being constructed in Ostrava based on the design by architect Josef Pleskot. The footbridge, intended for pedestrians and cyclists, will connect the right bank of the Ostravice with the area of the national cultural monument Lower Vítkovice. According to original expectations, the workers were supposed to complete the footbridge in the fall, but due to complications at the construction site, the completion has been delayed, said Deputy Mayor Kateřina Šebestová (ANO) to ČTK.

"Initially, we planned that the footbridge and the connecting cycle path from the right bank of the Ostravice to the Great World of Technology would be completed by this autumn. Although the construction of the steel bridge is progressing according to plan, the entire project has been delayed. Technical complications arose, for example, the construction site was not designed correctly in the original version of the project, so its relocation had to be negotiated to allow a crane to be placed there. There were also problems with the route of the cycle path around the central wastewater treatment plant," Šebestová stated.

According to her, the footbridge could be completed by the turn of the year. "However, it might not be opened to the public yet, as it needs to be covered with a special layer that can only be applied under good climatic conditions, which will be possible sometime in the spring," the deputy mayor said. Currently, according to her, the pillars and a support pillar are ready, which will be removed as soon as the footbridge is settled. "You can also see the preparatory structure along the bank of the Ostravice and the connecting cycle path. The footbridge will be brought in and will be installed using a crane on the pillars," Šebestová added.

The footbridge is intended to provide a quick and safe connection between the city center and the Lower Vítkovice area. The first idea for the bridge emerged in 2016. The footbridge will be 550 meters long and four meters wide. It will have an asphalt surface, suitable for inline skating. It will lead from the Ostravice River across a railway siding around the wastewater treatment plant and will end next to the entrance to the Great World of Technology on Vítkovická Street. The structure will be suspended on steel cables. Given the proximity to the river and biocorridor, the footbridge will be illuminated to resemble moonlight. The construction is expected to cost almost 96 million crowns excluding VAT.

Pleskot has been involved in several significant constructions in Ostrava, especially in the transformation of the industrial area in Lower Vítkovice, where he designed the multifunctional Gong Hall, the observation tower Bolt Tower, the World of Technology, the Heligonka building, and the Agricultural Museum. For his exceptional contribution to the development of the city in architecture, the city awarded him the City of Ostrava Award in the past.