In K. Vary, the reconstruction of Drahomířina and Mattoniho waterfront will begin in January

Karlovy Vary - Karlovy Vary will enter the new year with one of the largest investment projects, which is the reconstruction of Drahomířina and Mattoniho embankment in Drahovice. The reconstruction of this key transport route on the right bank of the Ohře River will cost the city more than 45 million crowns and will last until April 2012. In the upcoming year, about 25 million crowns are allocated for it in the city budget. Road work will begin, weather permitting, on January 4, informed the city spokesman Jan Kopál to ČTK.
    The reconstruction of Drahomířina and Mattoniho embankment is necessary due to the emergency condition of the road, which in recent years has been nicknamed the swing due to its very uneven surface. The work will include the removal of the original roadway and its replacement with a new one. Repairs of the sidewalks along the embankment are also planned, stated Deputy Mayor Jaroslav Růžička (Alternativa). During the construction, the embankment will need to be closed and traffic will be diverted to a detour route. Access to some residential courtyards will also be restricted.
    The contract for the reconstruction of the embankment was awarded to the consortium Karlovy Vary - Mattoniho embankment, which consists of the companies Eurovia and Strabag. The builders plan to completely close the section between the Drahovický bridge and Prašná street starting January 4. "Drivers must park their vehicles from the designated area by this time," stated the director of the consortium Michal Sakař. Otherwise, they will be towed from the street. "It will not be possible to access the yards until April 2012. We will create a temporary parking lot from Drahovický bridge to the intersection with Vítězná street," he added.
    The reconstruction of the embankment has caused disputes in the city even before the actual start of construction. Originally, bike lanes were supposed to be created on the new road, but the city subsequently abandoned this plan. Due to the bike lanes, it would have been necessary to redo the entire project, which would have unreasonably delayed the start of construction, pointed out Růžička. The creation of a bike lane was advocated by the civic initiative We Want Bike Lanes in Vary. A member of the initiative, Ota Řezanka, described the road modification without bike lanes as "hostile" to cyclists.