At the train station in Ostrava-Svinov, a new terminal will begin construction

Ostrava - In a few weeks, a modern terminal will begin to be built at the site of an important transport hub by the train station in Ostrava-Svinov. The construction is expected to be completed in March 2013. Until then, significant traffic restrictions will be required. Representatives of Ostrava announced this at a press conference today.
    The new terminal is intended to connect urban and car transport with long-distance buses and trains. The reconstruction of the Svinov bridges and their surroundings will follow the already completed renovation of the train station and the area in front of it. Both projects are the work of Ostrava architect Václav Filandr. Previously, passengers walked from tram and bus stops on the bridges to the trains via a so-called plateau. This structure dated back to the 1970s, was never completed, and was demolished by builders last summer.
    "The Svinov plateau allowed crossing a large section to the station protected from the elements. Now the area will be adjusted so that it can be easily accessed via a sidewalk, with escalators descending from the bridges to the level of the station," said Mayor Petr Kajnar (ČSSD). In the future, people should reach from the public transport stops to the trains "with dry feet" through a shopping center. "However, that is an investment action by a private company, and they have somewhat slowed their investments due to the crisis, and it is not exactly a good time for construction. But I believe it will be implemented with some delay," Kajnar added.
    The head of the city's economic development department, Václav Palička, stated that the construction costs were originally estimated at around 796 million crowns. However, the winner of the tender, the companies IMOS Brno and SDS Exmost, offered a price of 398.24 million crowns. "Thus, the city can save about 314 million," said Palička. The city will cover three quarters of the costs and the Moravian-Silesian region will cover the remaining quarter. Palička mentioned that up to 561 million crowns from European subsidies from the Regional Operational Program Moravskoslezsko are prepared for the project.
    The offer was determined as the most advantageous by the expert evaluation committee and was approved by the councils of both the city and the region. Representatives of Ostrava stated that they have two assessments indicating that the offered price is realistic and the project meets all requirements. "It is evident that during the crisis, companies are pushing their costs to a minimum," Kajnar said.
    According to him, the low price could mean that the company, in order to fit within the budget, will try to use less quality materials. "On the other hand, it is impossible to oppose this since choosing the lowest price is, of course, sensible. Compliance with the requirements specified in the project is expected," Kajnar said. He recalled that the city has tendered all constructions in the industrial zone in Mošnov for half the price, for example. "And there, in the end, the quality corresponds," added the mayor.
    The start of construction awaited the decision of the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS), as one of the unsuccessful companies filed a proposal for a review of the contract. However, they withdrew their proposal. "Based on the withdrawal of the proposal, ÚOHS decided on April 5 to suspend the administrative proceedings in this matter," informed Ostrava spokesperson Andrea Vojkovská.
    According to Kajnar, it is realistic that the construction will be completed in March 2013, which is about 15 months later than originally planned. "We have a valid building permit; all formalities are resolved. Now it only depends on the speed of the company, and construction companies do not have problems adhering to deadlines," said the mayor.
    Palička informed that in the first phase, the space under the Svinov bridges will begin to be adjusted, to which detour routes will subsequently lead. Traffic restrictions on the bridges, which will complicate travel between Ostrava and Opava and within the city between Poruba and the center, are planned to start in November.