The bike path from Kralupy to Zákolany has been completed. The route still has deficiencies.

The five-kilometer route follows the valley of the Zákolanský stream, south of the main road. The route consists of four sections of paths for pedestrians and cyclists, which are interconnected by purpose-built roads or through a residential area. The surface of the route is not uniform; parts of the section are gravel, parts are asphalt, and parts are made of small paving stones. The width also varies, ranging between two to four meters.

The last completed section is 450 meters of path for pedestrians and cyclists in Zákolany. It connects the local square, football field, and station across the stream. The project includes three new bridges and bike racks.

„For Zákolany, the new path is of huge benefit. It brings us a fundamental solution regarding the safe crossing for children to the football and playgrounds, as all these places are located on the other side of the stream. Previously, all pedestrians and cyclists had to use the main road, which runs under railway viaducts. With the ever-increasing traffic, it was very dangerous, especially for children,“ added the mayor of Zákolany, Lucie Wittlichová (Neighbors).

Not entirely continuous

The weak point of the route remains the fact that the path does not lead directly into Kralupy nad Vltavou. It ends in the local part of Minice. Further on, it is necessary to travel on a second-class road until connecting to cycle route 202 along the Zákolanský stream in Kralupy.

Prolonged Implementation

The implementation of the entire section began in 2019, with completion expected in 2020. The action was delayed by four years due to the owner of one of the lands who appealed against the building permit. Most of the lands on which construction took place originally belonged to private owners. The municipality then had to repeat the entire construction procedure.

The total cost of the project amounts to 26.88 million Czech crowns. Approximately 60% of the project was funded by the European Union, with the remaining funds split between the municipalities and the city of Kralupy. The construction was carried out by the Litoměřice-based company Gardenline.

Interesting Additions

The new route was also complemented by new furniture; besides benches, several bike rack stations were also installed along the path. Eight racks were placed near the football field in Zákolany. More curious is the placement of two other stations in Otvovice. Both include five racks with a capacity for ten bikes and one bench. However, they are located in places where probably ten bikes will not be locked to the racks. The first station is in the greenery at the beginning of Otvovice, and the second is in the center of the village, but hundreds of meters from the nearest establishment, 200 meters from the train station.

In Otvovice, a two-way bike path was marked along the local road using horizontal signage. According to Czech legislation, such a thing does not exist; a normal path would need to have vertical signage and be wider. Given that the concerned road is essentially without traffic, the signage could function more as a corridor for pedestrians or an advisory bike lane. It’s questionable whether such a road wouldn’t be better suited for a completely different traffic regime, such as a calm zone (shared or cycling).