Pilsen Region will give almost 80 million CZK for paths and routes for cyclists

The Plzeň Region will support trails and routes for cyclists with almost CZK 80 million this year. More than half of it will be given to municipalities for 11 cycle paths and cycle routes. The money will go to Stříbro, Dolní Lukavice, Chrást, Holýšov, Předenice, Kout na Šumavě, Přeštice, Město Touškova, Blovice, Zdemyslice and Břas. The council has already recommended the grants for approval to the council on 8 April. Pavel Čížek (STAN), the Deputy Governor announced today.

The region will give another CZK 37 million to the cycle path behind Pilsen from Bukovec to Chrast. It will be built on the former railway line from Pilsen to Prague. According to Čížek, the region is building 5.9 kilometres and Plzeň 300 metres. A 3.5 metre wide strip will run from the Pilsen part of Bukovec in the direction of Prague to Chrast. "We hope it will be ready by the end of May. So it will be ready for the tourist season. Construction started a few weeks ago," Čížek said.

The projected cost was over 50 million, but thanks to competition from contractors, the region reduced the final price. "Including construction supervisors and projects, it is worth CZK 37 million. What's more, we are getting an 80 percent subsidy for it," he said. It is the biggest project for cyclists in the Pilsen region so far.

Trains used to run from Bukovec to Chrast until 2018. After the completion of the Ejpovice tunnel, the Railway Administration dismantled the tracks and sleepers and transferred the up to 12-metre-wide body of the former fast train line to the region.

Plzeň plans to build a continuation of the cycle path towards the Doubravka district later this year, over two kilometres long and 5.5 metres wide, with space for in-line skaters. It has budgeted 28 million for this. At the beginning of the trail, the Pilsen 4 municipal district is planning a viewpoint with a centre for cyclists, refreshments and a parking lot, the study is finished.

There has been tremendous interest in county money for municipal bike lines this year. From February 1 to 23, 17 towns and municipalities applied, requesting 75 million crowns, according to the deputy. "That's why we've increased the support by a third to C40 million," he said. Regional councillors had earlier approved CZK 37.8 million for Stříbro, Dolní Lukavica, Chrást, Holýšov, Předenice, Kout na Šumavě, Přeštice and the town of Touškov, with CZK 2.2 million remaining on Monday. According to Čížek, Blovice will use CZK 600,000 to repair the surface of the long-distance cycling route number 31 in Vlčice. Zdemyslice will receive the same amount for part of the "Brdská cyklotrail", i.e. the Žákava-Blovice section, and Břasy will receive CZK 1 million for the international cycle route CT 37 in Plaská Street.

The total amount for the municipalities can still increase by up to ten million crowns after the distribution of the last year's surplus of the region's economy.

Source: CTK