A New Underpass Built at the Storage Yard in Brno

02. 10. 2009

On 2 October 2009, an underpass interconnecting Bohunická and Sokolovská Street and making up a part of the Europoint Brno Project was ceremonially opened in Brno. The construction comprises of a complex of bridges, breast walls, drainage systems and roads. The underpass serves passenger cars and light goods vehicles; a separate corridor is designated for pedestrians and cyclists. The construction cost amounted to less than CZK 413 million, VAT excluded, and was covered from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. The City of Brno contributed nearly CZK 224 million to the multilevel junction of the road and the railway. The contract was implemented by the Brněnský drak consortium, which OHL ŽS, a.s. is a member of, and the works took 2 years to complete.

“The underpass is yet another outstanding structure built in Brno. It will support transportation in Brno,“ said the Mayor of Brno, Roman Onderka, adding: “It will improve quite a large part of the traffic in Sokolov and a part of Bohunice Street. However, people living in this part of Brno will see the benefits of this only after the planned connecting road of the Large City Ring between Kšírova and Heršpická street has been completed.“

The construction actually comprises of a complex of bridges, breast walls, drainage systems and roads.  The underpass leads under four railway bridges and one road bridge because the railway corridor from Brno to Břeclav, with a track to Střelice branching off it, runs across the intersection point. The road bridge serves the local road. The new underpass has been designed not only for motorists, but also for pedestrians and cyclists.

The assistant to the CEO of SŽDC, Miroslav Konečný said, “By putting the underpass into operation, the first significant construction within the Brno Railway Junction has been completed. The underpass will serve the general public and is a symbolic connecting link of the City which, despite being interspersed with a network of railway lines, will remain compact thanks to it.”

The launch of the construction itself was preceded by vast demolition work in Severní and Sokolova street. “All the work was performed under full operation of the railway, which was very demanding from the organisational point of view. I believe that the whole Phase I of the storage yard reconstruction will be completed with the same success,“ said Michal Štefl, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of OHL ŽS, a.s. today.

The road pavement was designed for passenger car and light goods vehicle traffic.  The new underpass offers motorists one traffic line in either direction, while overtaking there is not allowed and the speed limit is 40 km/h. “The height of the underpass is 4.35 m, the gradient of slope at the entrance is less than 7 % and at the exit over 8. 5 %,“ stated Luboš Štěpánek, the Project Manager of Skanska DS a.s. The separated, three meter high corridor is to serve pedestrians and cyclists and has already been in operation since July this year; it will start serving motorists on 2 October, at 3 p.m.

The total cost amounted to nearly CZK 413 million, VAT excluded, and was covered from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. Pursuant to a contract signed with SŽDC, the Statutory City of Brno contributed nearly CZK 224 million to the construction of the multilevel road-railway junction. The constructor was the Brněnský drak consortium, with OHL ŽS, a.s. and SKANSKA DS a.s. as its members; the project was drawn up by SUDOP Brno. The underpass construction began in October 2007 and the related works lasted 2 years. The completion of the whole Phase I is planned for May of next year.

More information:
Mr. Pavel Halla
Spokesperson
The Railway Infrastructure Administration, state organization
E-mail: halla@szdc.cz
Telephone: 602 665 850