The repair of the Karlovy Vary Hot Spring footbridge will begin in the summer and will be completed by the next festival

Karlovy Vary – In Karlovy Vary, repairs to the Vřídelní Bridge will begin in July after this year's International Film Festival. According to the Deputy Mayor Miroslav Vaněk (Karlovaráci), the city has selected a contractor for the repairs. The work will last almost a year and is expected to be completed by June 2027, before the next film festival, Vaněk told ČTK.

The reconstruction will cost 30 million crowns excluding VAT, and the city will finance it from its budget without subsidies. Five companies applied for the tender, and the city chose the one with the lowest price. The estimated construction cost was around 40 million crowns, thus the competition managed to lower it.

"The bridge is in a state of emergency; however, the static assessment has shown that events during the film festival can take place there, and all are approved. That means neither the locals nor the festival visitors need to worry at all. However, the bridge, or rather the platform, has been leaking for many years, so the reinforced concrete structures are no longer in good condition, and that is why we are starting this repair,” stated Vaněk.

The bridge over the Teplá River is part of the Vřídelní Colonnade. Due to its poor technical condition, it is closed to the public except for the festival week when a carpet is laid over the broken pavement. The upper part is in worse condition, where the repair will focus on new waterproofing and paving.

The repair of the Vřídelní Bridge will be complicated. The Vřídelní Colonnade stands in a place where the Vřídlo springs emerge. Any change in the static condition of the structure could thus lead to a deviation of the spring elsewhere. This has happened in the past. Additionally, a hotel is being prepared for construction in close proximity to the Vřídelní Bridge on Tržiště Street.

The Vřídelní Colonnade, which is connected to the bridge, was built between 1969 and 1975. It is not a cultural monument in itself, but it is part of the City Monument Reserve of Karlovy Vary and also the Spa Cultural Landscape, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2021.

According to the deputy, after the repairs, the original appearance and use of the Vřídelní Bridge should be preserved, namely as a promenade for pedestrians with the possibility of placing a café garden. The staircase between the White Lion and Atlantic buildings should also be renewed. Originally, the city also considered new furnishings or a café, but has so far abandoned that idea.

In recent years, Karlovy Vary has reconstructed or rebuilt other crossings over the Teplá River, such as the Festival Bridge or Goethe's Bridge near the renovated Imperial Baths. In the meantime, after last year's film festival, the Spa Bridge near the Mill Colonnade was also repaired. It has been serving drivers and pedestrians since June 19.