In Hradec, they started demolishing the bridge over the Orlice, the new one will be finished by the end of the year

Hradec Králové - Builders today began dismantling the iron truss bridge over the Orlice River in the Svinary district of Hradec Králové. The Colonel Šrámek bridge, which was in a state of disrepair, will be replaced by a new bridge structure by the end of the year. Half of the original riveted bridge from 1907 will be preserved as a testament to bridge engineering from the early 20th century. The bridge has been closed to vehicles since January 2017, allowing only pedestrians and cyclists. The investor for the new bridge, costing 78 million crowns including VAT, is the Hradec Králové Region.

Today, builders began dismantling the part of the bridge from the right bank to the central pillar with the help of a large crane. They gradually cut about ten-meter sections of the bridge using oxy-fuel cutting and placed them on the right bank, where another group of workers cut them further. "The first cut section weighed about 19 tons," said one of the builders to ČTK. On Sunday, the builders are expected to take down the left part of the bridge in two pieces, which will be preserved. Dozens of people watched the demolition today.

The preserved parts of the bridge and part of the central pillar will be obtained by the city of Hradec Králové. For now, the bridge section will be laid on the left bank of the river. Hradec Králové will look for further use for it. "It could serve, for example, in Svinary on the embankment. A snack bar or a boat rental could be integrated into it," said Hradec Králové Mayor Zdeněk Fink (HDK) earlier.

Builders from the company Chládek and Tintěra Pardubice have been working on the bridge construction since the first half of April. In May, they separated the footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists from the bridge and moved it upstream by about six meters. In the middle, they supported it with a temporary pillar. Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the footbridge across the river. The builders also rerouted utility networks that previously ran over the bridge to the footbridge.

The new bridge will have a span of 75 meters and will consist of only one span. The plans include two traffic lanes for vehicles and a one-sided sidewalk.

The Svinary bridge is important for transportation in the western part of the city of Hradec Králové, with a population of 100,000. The nearest bridges over the Orlice River are on the city’s road ring and then in Krňovice. The bridge connects parts of Svinary on both sides of the river and is also used by residents of Malšova Lhota and Malšovice. Drivers use it as a shortcut when traveling from the southern part of the city towards Rychnov nad Kněžnou and Ostrava.