Děčín has been granted a subsidy of 43 million CZK for a pedestrian bridge for cyclists over the Elbe and Ploučnice rivers

„Creating a safe crossing for cyclists and pedestrians between the two parts of Děčín has been a long-standing plan and priority for our city,“ said Mayor Jiří Anděl (ANO). He welcomes winning the grant. The project details are already completed by the municipality, and work is expected to commence next Spring. However, it is necessary to first open a tender for the contractor. The construction is expected to take approximately two years.

„The construction of the bridge will create an entirely new connection that will link the city together, speeding up the transfer from one bank to another not only for cyclists but also for pedestrians,“ stated Deputy Mayor for Development and IT Ondřej Smíšek (Náš Děčín). According to him, the bridge will also enhance safety and improve the traffic situation in the city. It is expected to reduce the number of cyclists on Tyrš Bridge and along the Elbe embankment, thus calming traffic in the city.

The three-meter-wide bridge will connect the left-bank part of Podmokly with Děčín’s main train station on the right bank, where, among other things, Děčín Castle is located, and the international cycling route EuroVelo 7 and national cycling route No. 2 pass through.

The idea of suspending a footbridge from the railway bridge emerged after the floods in 2002 when it was very difficult to move from one part of the city to another due to the high water level of the Elbe. In 2014, the railway bridge was supplemented with anchoring elements for the future footbridge. In 2018, the city organized an architectural competition called „Lávka Děčín-Podmokly.“ Four teams submitted their designs, and the jury selected the proposal by Prague architects Alexander Kotačka, Lukáš Vráblík, and Eva Pyková. Subsequently, the city commissioned the project and sought potential funding.

In Ústí nad Labem, there was also consideration of a pedestrian bridge that would connect the area behind the station with the cycling path along the Elbe in Střekov, as part of the reconstruction of Benešov Bridge. However, the city leadership eventually concluded that building the bridge would be too costly, and thus, only a provisional connection will be created, where the engineering logistics will also be moved over. The provisional footbridge will serve pedestrians and cyclists during the reconstruction period.