The Vltava River Basin will repair the 100-year-old weir on the Mže River in Plzeň-Křimice
Plzeň - The Vltava River Basin is starting the repair of a significant and nearly 100-year-old weir on the Mže River in Plzeň-Křimice. An investment of six million crowns will improve the technical condition of the structure by the end of the year, which is set to become a cultural monument soon. It is a 14-meter-wide flap bridge weir, one of the last two remaining functional weirs of this type in the Czech Republic. This was stated by Petra Krainová, spokeswoman for the river basin, to ČTK.
"The entire load-bearing structure, the substructure, the adjacent retaining walls, and the weir flap will be repaired. The builders will also replace corroded elements but will retain their dimensions and repair damaged joints," she added. The Vltava River Basin, as the operator of the weir, will maintain the original concept of the weir. The repair, which will stabilize the monument for decades, will be overseen by experts from the National Heritage Institute and representatives from the heritage conservation department of the city of Plzeň.
The weir on the Mže was built according to a project by Professor Jan Záhorský in 1911. The 14-meter-wide weir opening is protected vertically by three flaps, which are suspended on a service bridge. Flap weirs, Záhorský's patent, use plates as sluices that can be lifted and lowered vertically or at an angle, while the flaps rotate around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of flow. Similar weirs were designed by him, for instance, on the Chrudimka in Pardubice, on the Ploučnice in Česká Lípa, and on the Bělá in Ústí nad Labem. Six of them were built in the Czech Republic.
"According to the National Technical Museum in Prague, as of 1997, this weir is likely the last one still serving its original purpose," said Pavel Domanický from the Plzeň Heritage Institute. It was built as part of the hydroelectric power plant of the Lobkovice estate and is now located in a heritage zone. "Considering the very good state of preservation and the fact that it is likely the only preserved object of its kind still serving its original purpose, the heritage institute in Plzeň is preparing a proposal for it to be declared a cultural monument," he added.
Canoeists will also welcome its repair, as they complain on their websites that the weir is broken and "overgrown with a hellish jungle."
The Vltava River Basin, which is investing 220 million crowns this year in repairs, manages nearly 4900 watercourses. It takes care of 46 movable and 285 fixed weirs.
"The entire load-bearing structure, the substructure, the adjacent retaining walls, and the weir flap will be repaired. The builders will also replace corroded elements but will retain their dimensions and repair damaged joints," she added. The Vltava River Basin, as the operator of the weir, will maintain the original concept of the weir. The repair, which will stabilize the monument for decades, will be overseen by experts from the National Heritage Institute and representatives from the heritage conservation department of the city of Plzeň.
The weir on the Mže was built according to a project by Professor Jan Záhorský in 1911. The 14-meter-wide weir opening is protected vertically by three flaps, which are suspended on a service bridge. Flap weirs, Záhorský's patent, use plates as sluices that can be lifted and lowered vertically or at an angle, while the flaps rotate around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of flow. Similar weirs were designed by him, for instance, on the Chrudimka in Pardubice, on the Ploučnice in Česká Lípa, and on the Bělá in Ústí nad Labem. Six of them were built in the Czech Republic.
"According to the National Technical Museum in Prague, as of 1997, this weir is likely the last one still serving its original purpose," said Pavel Domanický from the Plzeň Heritage Institute. It was built as part of the hydroelectric power plant of the Lobkovice estate and is now located in a heritage zone. "Considering the very good state of preservation and the fact that it is likely the only preserved object of its kind still serving its original purpose, the heritage institute in Plzeň is preparing a proposal for it to be declared a cultural monument," he added.
Canoeists will also welcome its repair, as they complain on their websites that the weir is broken and "overgrown with a hellish jungle."
The Vltava River Basin, which is investing 220 million crowns this year in repairs, manages nearly 4900 watercourses. It takes care of 46 movable and 285 fixed weirs.
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