The competition for the bridges of the new railway in Vysočina was won by Boele and Blank architects

Jihlava - The architectural competition for two new bridges planned for the high-speed railway line (VRT) near Světlá nad Sázavou in the Havlíčkobrod region was won by the Boele studio. In the competition for the design of another bridge planned for the railway in Velké Meziříčí, the proposal from the firms Blank architects and AZ GEO won. The estimated costs for the construction of these bridges over large valleys are between one and two billion each. Matyáš Hron from the Railway Administration said this during today's presentation of the architectural competition results in Jihlava.

All three bridges are located in the section between Světlá nad Sázavou and Velká Bíteš, which is part of the future high-speed railway line between Prague and Brno. Trains will operate on the new line at speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour.

The Railway Administration paid out prizes for the architectural competitions. "They are always in the range of several million crowns," said Martin Švehlík, deputy director of the high-speed railway construction administration. The administration will negotiate a contract for project documentation with the winners. He pointed out that the bridges are in the section of the VRT through the Vysočina region, where geological surveys are already being conducted. Construction of this section is expected to begin in the mid-2030s. "But of course, economic possibilities are important," he noted.

In Světlá nad Sázavou, the competition concerned the bridging of the valleys of two rivers, the Sázava and Sázavka. The bridge over the Sázava will be 535 meters long, and the bridge over the Sázavka will measure 400 meters. Both bridges will be approximately 40 meters high. The jury appreciated particularly the elegant solution that connects technical efficiency with architectural quality and responds naturally to the surroundings, said the Railway Administration. There were 16 proposals submitted in this competition.

Both bridges are arched and span valleys that are different. Therefore, the bridges also differ. "However, the language of architecture is the same. We wanted them to feel like brother and sister," said Petr Šuma from the Boele studio, which has offices in Prague and London.

In Velké Meziříčí, the bridge will carry the high-speed railway line over the Oslava valley. It will be over 40 meters high and 350 meters long. In the area, this will be the fourth large bridge; in addition to the highway bridge, there are two bridges on conventional railways. The VRT bridge design, recognized as the best of the total 22 submitted, sensitively complements the city's skyline and the surrounding landscape, said the Railway Administration.

The level of co-financing for high-speed rail lines from European funds should be clear this autumn. This information will be crucial for establishing the construction schedule for individual sections. In the April report, Minister of Transport Ivan Bednárik (for SPD) stated this. This year, the Railway Administration is investing 1.49 billion crowns into preparations, of which 0.53 billion comes from EU subsidies.